A C&EN Special
RUBBER IN THE 70S Keen competition in tire technology Ernest L. Carpenter, Assistant Editor, Washington, D.C.
T
he rubber industry is entering the 1970's on an unsure path. As C&EN went to press, labor contracts with several companies were due to expire. Last year's profits generally plummeted, and so far this year, it looks like more of the same. Prices of raw materials and other rubber chemicals are on an upward climb. Making matters worse, the Nixon Administration's fight on inflation is taking its toll on the industry in several ways—from the increased cost of borrowing money to decreased auto production and less consumer spending on such items as tires. As with most labor-intensive manufacturing industries in the U.S., the rubber industry is under growing pressure to constantly increase its performance in the face of constantly increasing costs. More than ever before, costs will likely become a bigger influence in the direction taken by the rubber industry's research and development during the 1970's. The means by which the industry will attempt to overcome its performancecost dilemma will likely wed polymer technology with that of instruments, computers, and processing chemicals. Next week at the spring meeting of the ACS Division of Rubber Chemistry in Washington, D . C , rubber chemists will discuss experimental data covering a wide gamut of research areas. These include work on
Next week, May 5-8, the ACS Division of Rubber Chemistry will hold its annual spring meeting in Washington, D.C, at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Rubber chemists will examine a wide gamut of research work in the rubber field from work on faster curing systems to polymerization catalysts, as is evident from the meeting program that starts on page 70. This Special on the rubber industry is designed to be removed and saved.
Tire white walls are sprayed with a protective blue coating and dried under heat lamps in the final production step at Goodyear's Topeka, Kan., plant APRIL 27, 1970 C&EN 31
Big five rubber companies control 7 5 % of total U.S. tire-making capacity Company Passenger 246,000 188,625 124,000 96,800 54,500 197,500 907,425
Goodyear Firestone Uni royal Goodrich General Others Total
Tire capacity, units per day Truck Per cent of passenger and bus Other 31,000 4,000 27.1% 20.8 25,900 3,280 13.6 14,500 1,200 10.7 10,000 1,550 6.0 8,500 1,150 21.8 27,100 45,400 117,000 56,580
Company total 281,000 217,805 139,700 108,350 64,150 270,000 1,081,005
Company share of total capacity 26.0% 20.1 12.9 10.0 5.9 25.0
Source: Rubber World
faster curing systems, polymerization catalysts, and in-depth study of reinforcing and filler compound carbon black. Discussions centering on elasticity and other rheological behavior as well as on computer applications to rubber research, are designed to help research chemists better understand polymer behavior and advanced methods for studying it. Such research may eventually lead to lowering those cost factors that are beginning to keep rubber industry economists up at night—either by decreasing material costs or man-hours, or increasing production efficiency. A discussion with rubber company officials on cost cutting generally evolves into talk of manual labor. Rubber companies are painfully aware that making tires is still pretty much a hand operation, and belted tires take even more time to build than do comparable unbelted tires. Computer
technology
Application of computer technology to tire production will probably increase in this decade. Tire engineers don't agree, though, to what extent the computer can be used. They are not convinced that tires as we know them today can be built entirely by a mechanized apparatus, though tire building will likely become more highly mechanized—as it already is today compared to 10 or 20 years ago. What would seem to be the goal of all tire producers is a tire-making process that could be completely mechanized and computer controlled. Early this year Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. disclosed such a process, which is essentially an injection-molding method for making tires (C&EN, Feb. 2, page 11). The process, still in the development stage, would be readily adaptable to computer control. Firestone says that in its new process hot liquid rubber is squirted into a mold, and in a matter of minutes the formed tire is removed from the mold and then cured in an oven. The 32 C&EN APRIL 27, 1970
resultant tire has no cord or plies and is uniform throughout. It is not a solid tire but is pneumatic with a normal inflation of 24 psi. Tires made by the casting method are being tested on fleets in Akron and at the company's testing tracks at Fort Stockton, Tex. Firestone says that its cast tires meet specifications set by the Department of Transportation, and in many properties—durability and high-speed performance, for example—they expected these standards. It also says the tires are structually strong enough to support a near-normal load without aid. Commercial production of cast tires is still several years away, probably sometime between 1975 and 1980, notes Dr. Glen Alliger, Firestone director of laboratories and codeveloper of the process. He emphasizes that this is the direction tire production at Firestone is taking. "It's only a question of time," he says. Almost anyone in the tire industry will agree that an injection-molded tire has been an industry dream for many years. In keeping with the traditionally competitive nature of rubber companies, however, other tire makers scoff at an all-rubber tire that can meet today's strenuous tire requirements without textile reinforcement. Nevertheless, all the major tire producers are probably working on an injection-molding tire process. One skeptic of Firestone's cast tire recalls Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s ballyhoo late in the 1950's about its cast tire made with polyurethane; that novelty never made it as a practical tire because the urethane softened too much from heat buildup at normal driving speeds. Injection molding of rubber objects other than tires is rapidly gaining popularity in the industry, and the pace of switchover from other methods, such as extruding, is expected to quicken during the 1970's. Injection molding offers attractive economics because of higher rates of production with less manpower, despite the initial high cost of equipment.
More automation Other phases in rubber manufacturing besides molding—and especially in tire making—will also likely benefit from automation during the 1970's. Nearly all operations in a tire plant, except possibly the tire building process itself, will probably feel the effects of automation and computer control —from maintaining raw material inventories and mixing, through vulcanization, to warehousing and shipping. Many companies already incorporate some computer features in their tire plants, but the coming decade will bring a stronger swing in this direction, industry spokesmen say. At the tire-building step itself, considerable progress has already been made in increasing the mechanization of the process, which is still essentially hand-operated. Firestone, for example, has started using a highly mechanized tire-building machine which, the company says, reduces hand labor considerably. General Tire & Rubber Co. has developed and is licensing a single-phase radial tire building machine that reduces conventional radial tire making from two stages. The new machine, General says, is more automatic than current tire-producing equipment. National-Standard Co., Niles, Mich., a much discussed company in the tire industry today because of its association with steel wire tire cord, also is marketing time- and cost-saving equipment to make radial tires. Tire market Tires, and tire products, including inner tubes and tread rubber, accounted for 1.74 million long tons, or 67 r r, of the 2.6 million long tons of synthetic and natural rubber used last year. Ross R. Ormsby, president of the Rubber Manufacturers Association, thinks that this market for rubber will increase slightly this year to about 68% of all rubber consumed. In 1969 the rubber industry shipped about 220 million tires valued at,
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Conveyor belting comprises large part of $4.1 billion nontire rubber market
Rubber hose sales grew 1 1 % last year over 1968; 1 4 % growth likely in 1970
Rubber's nontire uses Nontire uses of rubber accounted for 900,000 long tons last year, or 3 3 % of the total 2.6 million long tons of all types of rubber consumed in the U.S. Sales of such rubber items—molded parts, belting, hose, and footwear, for example—contributed $4.1 billion to total rubber industry sales. The nontire sector of the rubber market this year will likely account for $4.3 billion of the expected total of more than $17 billion. Molded parts for automobiles comprise the largest portion of the nontire rubber market; about 125,000 long tons was used in 1969 for such parts. A variety of other goods including conveyor belting, power transmission belting, and hose and tubing, should reach a sales value of about $1.4 billion this year, according to Goodyear. Goodrich economists are forecasting a 5 0 % sales increase in hose and flat conveyor belting between 1970 and 1980, reflecting expected increases in spending for plants and equipment. Rubber footwear, not including shoe heels and soles, is one rubber market that doesn't seem to have much, if any, growth in store for it during the next few years. Last year about 44,000 long tons of rubber were used to make footwear, such as rubber boots; total sales value reached $435 million. 34 C&EN APRIL 27, 1970
along with other tire products, $4.7 billion. This accounted for 28% of the rubber industry's entire sales of about $16.5 billion. Passenger car tires, as expected, make up the largest sector of the tire market, with about 178 million units shipped in 1969. Of these, 131 million were replacement tires; 46.8 million were original equipment on new cars. Exports accounted for 1.6 million or so tires. Truck and bus tire shipments accounted for 26.9 million units, farm tire shipments were about 6 million units, aircraft tire shipments were 950,000 units, and industrial pneumatic tire shipments were 8.5 million units. The five largest companies in the tire and rubber business—Goodyear, Firestone, Uniroyal, Inc., B.F. Goodrich Co., and General—supply all the original equipment tires to Detroit. The market is divided something like this : Goodyear, 33 % ; Firestone, 24% ; Uniroyal, 2 1 % ; Goodrich, 16%; and General, 6%. These companies combined also handle three fourths of the replacement tire business; the remainder is split among nine independent tire manufacturers—Armstrong, Cooper, Dunlop, Gates, Mansfield, Mohawk, Corduroy, Denman, and McCreary. Total tire shipments in 1970 will likely increase to a record level, but shipments may be held back some by a strike by the United Rubber Workers. Growth in the original equipment tire market is being deterred by the current slowdown in auto production. Some tire makers put this year's total tire shipments at 226 million units, but more bullish spokesmen are quoting up to 228 million. The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that 1970 sales of tires and tire products will reach $4.9 billion, about 29% of total industry sales. RMA's Mr. Ormsby forecasts that 1970 passenger tire shipments will be more than 185 million units, up 4% from 1969. Of these, 137.7 million will be replacement tires and 47.6 million original equipment. He figures the rest of the tire market like this: 27.5 million for trucks and buses, and nearly 16 million for farm, aircraft, industrial, and motorcycle tires. Biggest growth area in passenger tires is in replacement tires, a market currently growing at about 5.5% per year. Autos two or more years old are the prime market for replacement tires, even those originally equipped with longer wearing beltedbias or radial tires, and this market will increase 4% from 60.5 million cars in 1969 to 62.9 million this year. By 1980, this segment of the auto market is expected to reach 90 million,
requiring at that time 220 million replacement tires, according to Goodrich. The company estimates that nearly 70 million original equipment tires for autos will be shipped in 1980. Total shipments of pneumatic tires of all types will climb to 350 million units in 1980, Goodrich economists say, representing a total growth of 56% between 1970 and 1980. Tire changes The tire industry is experiencing dramatic changes both in tire construction and in tire cord materials. The belted-bias tire, now standard equipment on almost all new cars, required a toolup change that occurred more rapidly than any such change before in the tire industry. Even with belted-bias tires just in their first year of major acceptance by the auto industry, some tire experts are predicting a rapid loss in their share of the market in favor of a tire with yet another construction—the radial tire. The change-about to radiais could occur as soon as 1975 when, according to champions of the radial tire, nearly a third of the passenger tire market may be radiais. The controversy over belted-bias and radial tires is complexly intertwined with the acceptance and success of certain tire cord materials, as well as the economics of producing the two types of tires. A belted tire—be it bias ply or radial ply—will certainly be the dominant tire in the 1970's, barring the appearance of an entirely new type of construction later in the decade. Some tire producers look at today's popular belted-bias tire strictly as a transition stage toward radial tires. Others, however, such as Goodyear, maintain that the belted-bias tire will remain the most widely used passenger car tire throughout the decade. Goodyear's Russell De Young, for instance, predicts that in 1980 four out of every five tires going to auto makers and motorists will be beltedbias tires. Those who advocate this view maintain that the belted-bias tire is as good as a radial tire without the tire industry having to spend the huge amounts necessary to tool up to making radial tires. The switch to making belted-bias tires required relatively minor adjustments to machinery already installed for making bias-ply tires. To make radial tires, though, tire makers would have to ditch their old machines and switch to all new equipment that is not only expensive but also takes up more room. Much of radiais' popularity hinges on Detroit's reaction to them. If Detroit decides that it wants radial tires on all its new cars, that's what the tire
now stored in our computers and Stuck for a rubber formulation or can be retrieved at a moment's an idea on how to meet a specifi notice by our chemists for dis cation? If time is running out and you feel you may lose a sales op cussion w i t h you. You don't need a fancy compu portunity for lack of technical in ter yourself or a statistician to use formation . . . call Polysar. this technical information. Just During a quarter century of give us a call . . . and let us show developing one of the world's you how you can make the most broadest ranges of synthetic rub efficient use of your time. bers and latices, we have devel POLYSAR INCORPORATED oped knowlopea a a bank DanK of οι κπυννι. . f^"-ij™^ IHWIMWIXMH-U edge. This vast amount Ρ ΐ Υ ) η | Ρ Ι Τ | ζ 1 7 9 5 W e s t M a r k e t S L ' of human know-how is if ^ Akron, Ohio 44313
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companies say they will supply. It radiais become widely used as original equipment, though, it will create a ready made replacement market because the car suspensions will likely be adapted to the harsher ride of radiais and, too, all types of tire constructions aren't compatible on the same auto. Two disagree Of the top five rubber companies, only Goodyear and Firestone aren't convinced that the radial-ply tire will be the dominant tire at least sometime in the latter half of the 1970's. Firestone hopes that by late in the decade, its cast tire, containing no plies or cords, will become a commercial success. As Firestone president R. D. Thomas points out, auto makers might not choose radiais for original equipment tires anyway because of cost. Uniroyal, Goodrich, and General say that the radial tire will become the most widely used tire by 1975 or later. Further, each company believes that of the materials available today, steel shows the most promise for radial tire belts. Goodrich chairman and chief executive officer Ward Keener likens acceptance of the radial to world population: on the verge of an accelerated pace. About 13 9é of Goodrich's tire capacity is for radial tires this year, Mr. Keener points out. Goodrich already supplies radial tires with highmodulus rayon belts and rayon carcasses to Ford for original equipment on Thunderbirds and some Lincoln Continentals. General says it expects to make available a steel-belted rayon radialply tire by next year at the latest. According to David Overstreet, General's manager of passenger tire production, by the end of this year the company will have a greatly increased capacity to build radial tires. Uniroyal, which supplies Detroit with only belted-bias tires (mainly glass fiber belts and polyester carcass, but some rayon-rayon combinations), also believes the steel belt on a radial tire is what Detroit will choose during the mid to late 1970's. For the carcass cord, however, the company leans toward polyester. Radial-ply tires have several advantages over belted-bias ply tires, including slightly better tread wear, less rolling resistance (better fuel economy), better ride at high speed, and lower running temperatures. However, belted-bias tires outdo radiais in some respects, too. For instance, they have better ride characteristics at low speeds, better sidewall bruise resistance, better cut resistance, more uniformity, less shake 36 C&EN APRIL 27, 1970
Belgium has about 5 0 % of available world capacity for steel wire cord"
Company Bekaert Steel Cords Glanzstoff Fan National-Standard Sodetal Tokyo Rope \ Kawasaki ( Sumitomo ( Kobe Steel ; TOTAL
Country Belgium England West Germany Belgium U.S., England, Belgium France ,
Ja
Pan
Capacity,6 millions of pounds 26.4 13.2 6.6 3.1 2.6 2.1 0 « 3 2
'
57.2
«Michelin has about 200 million pounds captive capacity. estimated capacities this year. New plants and expansions are under way in several countries including the U.S., Luxembourg, and Japan.
and, perhaps most importantly of all, cost less. Steel cords Although steel cord belts for tires have grabbed a big portion of the tire spotlight this year, they have been around for quite a while. Michelin, France's largest rubber company, introduced its steel-belted radial passenger tire in Europe way back in 1948. In addition, most U.S. rubber producers have used steel belts on truck and off-the-road radial tires since the late 1950's and early 1960's. These rugged tires are designed for cut resistance and durability. Some of these tires have also had steel cord in the carcasses. Most of the wire cord used in the U.S. for these tires has been imported from Europe. Interest in steel wire cords has accelerated, however, because of the belted-bias concept, comments Fred J. Ko vac, Goodyear manager of tire reinforcing systems. Mr. Kovac says that with steel belts, value in cost per mile or performance is better for belted-bias tires than with radial tires. Both Goodyear and Firestone plan to market belted-bias tires with steel wire cords in the belts, but neither company expects an overnight run on this type of tire if for no other reason than that there isn't enough steel cord available—not in the U.S. or anywhere else. Worldwide steel cord capacity including Europe, where steel cord is used rather extensively on radial tires, is about 57.2 million pounds, not including Michelin's captive production, which is estimated at 200 million pounds a year. Currently, there is no commercial facility for producing steel cord in the U.S., but the situation will soon change. National-Standard, which has produced wire cord in Belgium and England for several years, expects to have a steel cord plant in the
U.S. on stream at the end of this year —a 10 million pound-per-year unit at Columbiana, Ala. Also, Bekaert, a Belgian company that produces more wire cord in Europe than anyone else except Michelin, is building a 3 million pound-per-year plant at Rome, Ga., due on stream next year. Belted-bias tires with steel belts will not likely hit the original equipment line for at least two years, though. By that time, the potential market for steel cord in original equipment tires alone could be about 50 million pounds, figuring about 1 pound of steel cord per tire. If radiais were used as original equipment, the total market for steel cord could be as much as 150 million pounds. Replacement tires would at least double that demand. If steel cord really gains wide acceptance, many more production facilities will have to be built to meet this demand. One indication of another U.S. producer has already been hinted. Goodyear is building a pilot plant in Luxembourg that will initially produce 5.3 million pounds per year of steel cord. The cord may at first be used in tires for the European market, but one Goodyear spokesman interprets the move as developing wire know-how to integrate with its tire know-how. Others surmise that Goodyear knows a good thing when it sees it. The only other cord material that Goodyear produces is polyester—a bigvolume, high-growth product. If the pilot facility is successful economically, the company will likely build a largescale unit there for U.S. import, or build a unit directly in the U.S. In Nova Scotia, Michelin plans to build a plant to make steel cord for captive use in an adjacent radial tire plant. With production from these units, the French company hopes to push into a greater share of the U.S. and Canadian replacement tire market as well as increase its holdings in original equipment from its currently
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small but prestigous position as supplier to Continental Mark III. So one difficulty in the next few years for steel wire tire cord will be its tight supply situation. Another difficulty will be in finding companies interested in producing the cord material. Several spokesmen in the tire business hint that so far the economics of making the wire aren't very attractive, considering the competitive prices the cord must sell for in a market where some organic fibers are less costly and more readily available. Then, too, talk about organic fibers being developed by chemical companies such as Du Pont, Monsanto, and Celanese may be deterring some potential wire cord makers from taking the capital-heavy plunge. They're possibly waiting for more test results from some of the new fibers. For example, a fiber called Fiber "B" from Du Pont is being evaluated by tire companies as a belt material (C&EN, Feb. 9, page 14). Tire engineers indicate the fiber has higher strength and modulus, as well as better dimensional stability than any other organic fiber available. Tread life with Fiber "B" belts is at least equal to that obtained with wire or glass belts, Du Pont claims. Further, with radial tires 1 pound of the new fiber can replace 4 pounds of wire with no loss in durability or tread life. Making cord The steel used in wire cord is very similar to the high-carbon steel used for bead wire. The manufacturing
process involves stretching steel rod in a series of steps under controlled conditions to give a fine wire. During the process, the steel wire receives a brass coating that not only makes the wire easier to stretch but also provides a built-in adhesive system for the rubber coating applied to the wire to make tire belts. Wire cord can be used in two ways to make tire belts. It can be fed in strands directly to a calendering device where the cords are imbedded in rubber strips, or the cord can be woven, as Goodyear does, as a fabric in a manner similar to conventional textile cords. The resulting fabric is then coated on both sides with rubber sheets. Kevin O'Neil, manager of fabric engineering at Goodyear, notes that, from a handling or fabricating standpoint, there shouldn't be any barriers in making wire cord. He admits, however, that the toughest part of steel wire production is in keeping a uniform diameter. Other cords If steel cord gains widespread use, it will certainly be at the expense of today's belt materials—glass fiber and, to some extent, high-modulus rayon. Last year, about 40 million pounds of glass fiber was used in tire belts. Before steel cord became such a strong contender for belts early this year, glass fiber manufacturers and tire producers alike were forecasting more than a 100% increase in glass fiber tire cord consumption to 90
Firestone employee operates loom that weaves fabric from tire cord at Gastonia, N.C., plant. Such fabric is a vital part of tire belts and carcasses 40 C&EN APRIL 27, 1970
million pounds by 1974. Glass fiber producers Owens-Corning Fiberglas and PPG Industries are undoubtedly scurrying to come up with a modified glass that can compete with steel. Nylon, the most widely used tire cord today—305 million pounds was used last year—has begun a downward turn in use for passenger tires and will probably continue decreasing in that sector of the tire business. Even in the replacement tire market, where nylon has maintained considerable strength in conventional bias-ply tires, nylon will keep losing out as more and more motorists turn to belted-bias and radial tires. Until the smaller independent tire makers tool up to make belted tires, however, their production for the replacement tire market will help keep some life in the nylon cord market. Nylon cord's big stronghold, though, is in nonpassenger tires where it holds the dominant share in tires for trucks and buses, tractors, aircraft, and off-the-road vehicles. Nylon will probably continue its hold on these nonpassenger tire markets, with total consumption leveling off and remaining at about 300 million pounds per year. Already showing its adaptibility to "new generation" tires, nylon has been coupled with steel in tires for off-theroad vehicles. For instance Goodyear disclosed early this year the development of huge earthmover tires, some as large as 9 feet in diameter, combining a bias-ply nylon cord carcass with steel belts under the tread. Polyester, used in 55% of all passenger tires last year, seemingly has the greatest growth potential, on the short term, at least, of all other tire cord materials now marketed. Polyester cord consumption last year was 150 million pounds and will grow to about 350 million pounds by 1974. Polyester's growth pattern could be adversely affected by steel cord's general acceptance, too, although reduced growth might not be drastic, if any at all, because some tire makers have stated a preference for polyester carcass with steel belts. Rayon, whose demise as tire cord has been all but settled a thousand times by its competitors and also by some tire makers, may be the surprise cord of the decade. Rayon's share of the tire cord market steadily decreased during the 1960's to about 120 million pounds last year, and some cord experts say no more than 75 million pounds will be used this year. The picture for rayon has gradually been changing, however, ever since Ford began requesting early in the 1970 model year belted-bias tires with rayon belts and rayon carcasses for original equipment on its full-sized cars. Ford also uses rayon/rayon for
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Firestone engineer runs steel plunger test to measure strength of tire cord
radial tires on Thunderbirds and some Continentals. Tire cord specialists at three of the five largest rubber companies indicate that rayon is the best carcass cord for either belted-bias or radial tires, all for a variety of reasons, including low cost, high flexibility, which the tire body of belted tires needs, and because of less heat buildup than nylon or polyester. Another plus factor for rayon is the years of experience—nearly 30 years—that tire makers have had in using it. Government
regulation
In addition to the turmoil created in Akron in choosing tire constructions and tire cords, rubber industry officials are greatly concerned about the government's growing interest in tire performance. Standards already set by the U.S. Department of Transportation and guides established by the Federal Trade Commission are intended to assure the consumer that the tires he buys meet certain minimum performance standards and other requirements of the government. A big question in the minds of many tire producers is whether John Q. Tirebuyer will actually take advantage of the information available to him. Data appearing on the tires, charts on display, and a brochure to be offered to the purchaser by the tire dealer are all designed to assist Mr. Tirebuyer in reaching a decision on which tire to buy, that is if he hasn't already decided on which type and price range before he goes to a store. One tire company's development director expresses one grave concern about more government action. Increased government regulation will "kill" all changes, he says. Change is currently the livelihood of the tire 42 C&EN APRIL 27, 1970
industry, he contends, and new regulations would reduce the ease of making changes. For example, he explains, to change a specification on tires to accommodate a technological improvement might take months or years of red tape. DOT Standard 109 provides regulations on safety performance and testing. Included are tests for physical dimensions, retention of the tire on the wheel, strength of the body of the tire, and tire endurance. In addition, the ruling requires tread wear indicators to show when it is time to replace the tires or to have them retreaded. Another rule—DOT Standard 110—specifies tire selection and rims for new cars to prevent overloading of the tires when the vehicle is operated at maximum passenger and luggage capacity. Perhaps the greatest importance of Standards 109 and 110 to the consumer, according to one industry spokesman, is that if there are substandard tires being marketed, these will now be brought out into the open and either upgraded or eliminated. Probably the next step in more government regulation will be a grade labeling system, a guide that Mr. Tirebuyer can use to choose tires. Government specifications for retreaded tires are being determined this spring. All indications are that retreads will be required to meet the same minimum standards as new original equipment tires by passing tests for high-speed capability, endurance tests, physical dimension, strength (by plunger tests), and bead off-seating. Efostomers
developments
All the excitement about tire constructions and different cords, as well
as the growing hassle over federal regulations and testing methods, puts the elastomers part of the tire picture pretty much in the background. According to most leaders in rubber research that's where elastomers will probably remain throughout the 1970's, with no flurry of activity in general-purpose elastomers comparable to that in the 1960's when poly butadiene, polyisoprene, and EPDM were put on the market. Polymer scientists say, however, that there will be a continuing acceleration in development of specialty elastomers as well as important advances in blending polymers, including blending plastics with rubber. Ease in handling and eventual cost advantages will likely encourage further developments in liquid and powered elastomers. Many liquid rubbers already exist for specialty uses, but so far none has been developed for general-purpose use. The two most widely used rubbers in the U.S. today are styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and natural rubber. Together they comprised almost 1.9 million long tons, or 73% of the 2.6 million long tons of rubber marketed last year. SBR consumption in 1969 was 1.3 million long tons, with about 900,000 long tons used for tires and tire products, including inner tubes and tread rubber for retreaders. Use of SBR will likely remain almost steady for the next several years, with growth not likely to exceed 3 % at most. Some producers think the use of solution polymerized SBR will increase, but no one's certain which polymer market it will eat into—emulsion SBR or polybutadiene. Emulsion SBR has a random mixture of stereo isomers, but solution SBR is stereospecific and has a cis configuration of 95% or more
Ethylene Amines for the r o a d . . . in lubricants, gasoline and asphalt The ethylene amines are reacted to form amides and imidazalines before going into the final formulation in most petroleum additive applications. Ethylene amines-based ashless detergents have proved vastly superior to metal 9tM' detergents as lube oil additives because they are much more effective Under altenurte hot and cold engine conditions. In gasolines, EA derivatives protect ^ ^ -*. against combustion chamber deposits and the formation of varnish and sludge on pistons and valves. Ethylene amines are useful as A detergents, anti-oxidants and corrosion inhibitors for lubricants A other than lube oils. And they are used as wetting agents in *M asphalt to prevent stripping of the asphalt from the aggre%} gate in the presence of moisture. ^_ j | Whatever your applications for '.-*-•*" ethylene amines, let the newest volume supplier help you . . . 4 Jefferson Chemical Company, Inc., P. O. Box 53300, Houston, Texas 77052. *
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C H E M I C A L PRODUCTS D I V I S I O N : Surfactants, emulsi tiers, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, amides, amines, quaternaries, antioxidants, vinyl plasticizers. PETROCHEMICALS D I V I S I O N : x Aromatic and aliphatic solvents, petronaphthalene. cumene. cyclohexane petroleum pitch and coke. I N D U S T R I A L C H E M I C A L S & SOLVENTS D I V I S I O N : Hydrocarbon solvents, plasticizers. esters, terpenes, ketones, alcohols, glycols, acids, alkalis, peroxygen chemicals, phosphates RESINS & PLASTICS D I V I S I O N : Resins for industrial and commercial coating formulations, laminating, impregnating, bonding, adhesives compounding, textile finishing, printing inks, molding and casting C A R B O N BLACK & SYNTHETIC RUBBER D I V I S I O N : Carbon blacks tor rubber and specialties. SBR and its masterbatches. F O U N D R Y PRODUCTS D I V I S I O N : Benton.te. core and mold binders and washes, seacoal. exothermics. and foundry supplies INTERNATIONAL D I V I S I O N : Australia. Belgium, Canada. Colombia France. Germany Great Britain. Holland, India, Italy, Mexico. Philippines, Spain, Argentina and Venezuela AC-4
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OUNDING is produced\ by Ashland Chemical Company Sustained research and technical service p r o g r a m s k e e p A s h l a n d ahead asyour source for compounding successes. And w h e n it comes to delivery, no one responds faster. Our network of plants and distribution facilities shrinks the mileage between us. For information on our complete line for the rubber industry, write 8 E. Long St., Columbus, Ohio 4 3 2 1 6 . /
Ashland Ashland Chemical Company DIVISION OF ASHLAND OIL & REFINING COMPANY
Stereo elastomers expand share of synthetic rubber consumption
I960 total consumption of synthetic rubber—1,079,000 long tons
1969 total consumption of synthetic rubber—2,001,000 long tons
SBR Butyl Nitrile Neoprene Stereo elastomers
1968 consumption of about 218,000 long tons. Use this year may reach nearly 350,000 long tons. Primary use of polybutadiene is in tires as a tread rubber in blends with SBR and natural rubber. About 237,000 long tons was used for tires and tire products last year. Another 23,000 long tons was used for high-impact polystyrene. Much smaller amounts go for such general-purpose applications as belting, hose, footwear, and the like. Supply of the polymer has been fairly tight, and prices have subsequently been stable. Domestic consumption and exports last year accounted for almost all of the available 308,000 long tons of capacity in the U.S. Expansions under way will help alleviate the tight supply. Polyisoprene, the synthetic counterpart of natural rubber, contributed 85,000 long tons to U.S. rubber consumption last year, a soaring 57% more than 1968 consumption of 54,000 long tons. For the next several years an average growth rate of about 15% per year is forecast for polyisoprene, consumption of which may approach 200,000 long tons by 1975. U.S. polyisoprene capacity is about 152,000 long tons per year, so that even with exports of about 22,000 long tons, supply is not extremely tight. However, expansions will be needed within a few years to meet projected demands. EPDM rubber
Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association
(as does polybutadiene). The resulting narrower range of molecular weights permits higher loadings of oil and carbon black. Last year the U.S. rubber industry used about 588,000 long tons of natural rubber, acounting for 22.7% of total rubber consumption. This was a 0.5% increase from 1968 consumption of nearly 582,000 long tons, but a drop from the 23.5% of natural rubber's share of the total U.S. rubber market. In fact, its share has been dropping consistently (it was 31% in 1960, for example), although actual tonnage has been increasing. Natural rubber producers expect consumption of their product to increase nominally to more than 590,000 long tons this year, and to as much as 685,000 long tons by 1975. Natural rubber's largest use (68%) is in tires. About 25% of the rubber used in tires is natural rubber, but this varies widely depending on the type of tire. Large ofF-the-road tires, airplane tires, and racing tires, applications for which cooler running tires are advantageous, 46 C&EN APRIL 27, 1970
are usually more than 85% natural rubber. Consensus of natural rubber producers is that supply of their product will continue to be tight throughout the 1970's (C&EN, Jan. 12, page 18). The 27% sector of the total rubber market that doesn't include SBR and natural rubber is where the real growth is occurring in the rubber industry. More than half of this portion is comprised of stereo rubbers—polybutadiene, polyisoprene, and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM). Combined, they accounted for about 400,000 long tons of rubber consumption last year, 25% more than in the previous year. RMA forecasts that use of stereo rubbers this year will sharply increase again—to about 490,000 long tons, for a 24% jump over 1969 use. Of the stereo rubbers, so named because the growth of the polymers can be controlled in a regular fashion so that a specified stereo configuration is obtained, polybutadiene is the most widely used. In 1969 a little more than 270,000 long tons of polybutadiene was consumed, up 24% from
EPDM, whose future partly depends on how much of the tire market it can capture, reached a consumption level last year of a little less than 44,000 long tons. Growth so far of the terpolymer has not been as great as some producers have forecast, and projections through 1975 still show a lot of guessing, with annual growth rates varying between 10 and 30% a year. Goodrich, which will become the fifth EPDM producer in the U.S. early next year with its new plant at Orange, Tex. (with an estimated annual capacity of about 25,000 long tons), forecasts a 1975 consumption of 267,000 long tons, representing a total growth of more than 500% during the next five years. Current capacity for EPDM, not including Goodrich, is about 112,000 long tons a year. Biggest use for EPDM is in automotive parts (excluding tires), which accounted for about 15,000 long tons last year. Tires, where EPDM is used mainly in sidewalls to impart oxygen and ozone resistance, made up the second largest market with 14,000 long tons. Other uses included appliance parts, hose, wire and cable, and coated fabrics. Exports racked up a larger figure than for any single domestic use—about 19,000 long tons.
Solprene makes it better Think Solprene solution polymers. For adhesives, coatings and sealants, as examples. Ε Think Solprene economy. Making up a batch of cement or sealant | ÎW takes less time. Less solvent. Saves money in processing costs. y * ; 3 'm
Think Solprene uniformity. Gives you better control over your product. Uniform solution viscosity allows for easier application for mix compounds. Gives maximum clarity and transparency to pressuresensitive adhesive formulations. All of which means: if your business is with rubber, you'll d o business better with Solprene. Call us and see.
RUBBER CHEMICAL OFFICES: Akron, Ohio...Dick Hendriksen, 2855 W . Market St., 4431 3; Phone 216 867-1950. Birmingham, Ala...Jim McLarty, 3124 Lorna Rd., 35216; Phone 205 822-7991. E. Providence, R. I...John Westfall, 322 Waterman Ave., 02914; Phone 401 434-7600. Houston, Texas...Chuck Wimmer, 6910 Fannin St., Box 1967, 77001; Phone 713 748-2566. Los Angeles, Calif....Frank Ennis, 6445 E. Slauson Ave., 90022; Phone 213 685-6380. Trenton, N. J....Harry Emore, 680 Whitehead Rd., 08638; Phone 609 394-7166. Villa Park, III....Virgil N e a l , 150 E. St. Charles Rd., 60181; Phone 312 834-6600.
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U.S. rubber consumption: biggest growth for the stereos Consumption, thousands of long tons Type of rubber
1968 1282
1969 1300
1970° 1320
1975° 1400
Natural rubber 582 Polybutadiene 218 Neoprene 115 Butyl 90 Polyisoprene 54 Nitrile 60 EPDM 42 Other synthetics 34 TOTAL NEW RUBBER 2477 Total synthetic rubber 1895 Total stereo rubber 314 «C&EN estimates. Source: Rubber Manufacturers Association
588 271 120 92 85 65 44 26
590 350 130 95 110 68 75 37
685 465 160 113 200 84 225 42
2589 2001
2775 2185
3374 2689
400
535
890
SBR
As might be expected, Goodrich and EPDM's four other producers ( Copolymer Rubber & Chemical Co., Du Pont, Enjay, and Uniroyal) expect EPDM will eventually become a bigvolume rubber. Although there seems to be a slight overcapacity, one Goodrich spokesman says the potential is so great that this situation won't last very long. "It's got to be a winner," exclaims David Bonner, president of Goodrich's wholly owned Ameripol subsidiary. EPDM has all the things one looks for in terms of basic economics, he says. For instance, two of the raw materials—ethylene and propylene —are relatively cheap. What's more EPDM can be highly loaded with oils or fillers. Mr. Bonner predicts that EPDM will experience its greatest growth in automotive and mechanical parts during the next five years. After that, it may move into tires, he says. The closer the price of EPDM comes to that of SBR (right now they're about 7 cents per pound apart for normal-cure EPDM ), the more likely it will be used as tread compound. There are indications from some tire builders, though, that there are difficulties in handling and processing EPDM. Neoprene rubber Neoprene rubber (polychloroprene), the third largest volume synthetic rubber in the U.S. with 1969 consumption at about 120,000 long tons, is expected to grow at about 5% a year. Largest use for neoprene, which had been made exclusively by Du Pont until Petro-Tex arrived on the scene this year, is for mechanical goods and automotive products other than tires. Adhesives and binders represent another large neoprene market, and it is in these two areas that the polymer has its greatest growth potential. Consumption of butyl rubber, a copolymer of isobutylene and isoprene, reached 92,000 long tons in 1969, 48 C&EN APRIL 27, 1970
a 2.7% increase over the previous year. Butyl will likely continue its slight growth rate of about 3% through 1975, when consumption may reach 113,000 long tons. Exports, which make up about a third of production, will likely continue their current decreasing trend because of a buildup in foreign capacity. About 757c of all butyl is used to make inner tubes for tires (most nonpassenger tires still use inner tubes). Most of the remainder of the market is shared by mechanical goods and electrical applications. A much smaller but potentially large market exists for sealants and adhesives. Nitrile consumption last year was about 65,000 long tons—making it the lowest volume elastomer of the seven major synthetic rubbers. Nitrile rubber is a copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile. A projected growth rate of about 4.3% will bring 1975 consumption to about 83,000 long tons. High resistance to oil gives nitrile its biggest market—the automotive industry, for such applications as hose, seals, gaskets, and O-rings. These products also are used in the oil industry. Specialty rubbers A variety of other synthetic rubbers falls into the category of specialty rubbers, consumption of which totaled 25,600 long tons last year. Such elastomers include acrylics, silicones, polysulfides (liquids and millable gums), fluoroelastomers, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, and epichlorohydrin rubbers, to name only a few. This is the first year epichlorohydrin rubbers have been produced in large commercial units. Earlier this year Hercules started up a 10 million pound-peryear plant at Hattiesburg, Miss., and Goodrich boosted capacity of its semiworks plant at Avon Lake, Ohio, to 8 million pounds per year. Goodrich began selling these elastomers from the pilot plant in 1965. Epichlorohydrin elastomers provide
a unique combination of many of the desirable properties of neoprene, nitrile, and natural rubbers. They are oil resistant, for instance, and offer ozone resistance and weatherability, have good building tack, process easily, and can be extruded or molded. Because of their flexibility down to —40°F without the use of low-temperature plasticizers, the elastomers are ideal for applications in the Alaskan oil fields, Goodrich says. Raw materials All these synthetic rubbers—from SBR to epichlorohydrin—are technically petrochemical products, considering that the raw materials used for making them are primarily petroleum derivatives. With this intimate relationship with the petrochemical industry, the synthetic rubber producers find themselves competing with other petroleum uses—gasoline and fuel oils, for example—for available petroleum supplies. Though rubber producers don't seem worried about feedstocks during the next 10 or so years, the fortunes of their industry are intricately tied to some overriding problems of the petrochemical industry, including oil import levels, depletion allowances, and competition with less expensive foreign naphtha feedstocks. In addition, many complex economic factors help determine the alternative uses of petrochemicals in making either rubber, plastics, or other organic materials. Of the 2.25 million long tons of synthetic rubber produced last year in the U.S., more than half was SBR. SBR is polymerized from styrene and butadiene—both derived from more basic petrochemicals. Styrene is made principally by catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene, which in turn is made by alkylating benzene with ethylene, or obtained as a coproduct of catalytic reforming. Demand for styrene is currently strong, as is demand for ethylbenzene. In 1969 about 1 billion pounds of styrene with a value of $80 million was channeled into the synthetic rubber industry. This represented about 22% of the year's 4.6 billion pound styrene output. Current capacity for ethylbenzene—used almost exclusively for making styrene—is about 5.13 billion pounds a year. Major additions in capacity now under way or planned will increase styrene capacity to 7 billion pounds by 1972. Increasing exports of styrene will help keep supply on the snug side. Styrene pricing is currently a little shaky, though. As with many other chemicals, styrene has experienced a round of price boosts already this year. Butadiene—the other constitutent of SBR as well as raw material for mak-
Send for a blob of butyl today. We've made butyl into a semi-liquid called Enjay Butyl LM (low molecular weight). So you can make a lot more out of it. Enjay Butyl LM has about 1/10 the molecular weight of regular butyl, but retains the backbone of the dense butyl molecule and its low level of unsaturation. We developed it to meet the adhesive, sealant, and coating industries' needs for improved aging, improved compression-set and lowered moisture-vapor transmission. Properly formulated in sealants and coatings, Enjay Butyl LM can be cured at room temperatures and processed in low energy mixing equipment. You can vary cure rate from 30 minutes to several days. And Enjay Butyl LM has all the outstanding properties of regular butyl. What can you make out of Enjay Butyl LM? A sealant for insulated double-pane glass windows (Enjay Butyl LM provides a moisture vapor transmission barrier up to 100 times that of existing sealants); quick-setting, easy-to-apply impervious coatings for roofs, tank linings, fabrics and waterproofing of polyurethane insulation; superior encapsulating compounds for electronic devices. You can even blend it in other rubber and adhesive products. For more information talk to your Enjay Technical Representative. And send for your blob of butyl right away. It's fascinating stuff. ^ ^ ^ ^ Enjay Chemical Company, vL· ^ ^ Synthetic Rubber Division, F N Ι Δ Υ • Adhesives Intermediates, ^ ^ > * » • « * * • # 60 West 49th Street, ^ ^ ^ «** New York, New York 10020.
Please send me a blob of Enjay Butyl LM. Plus information on properties, formulations, etc. ^*mT %2r - *>X*«>
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