Rubber chemical sales exceed $418 million
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J Ethyl Corporation US™/) ! Commercial Development Division x j ? / I
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CIRCLE 38 ON READER SERVICE CARD 16 C&EN OCT. 25, 1971
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More than $418 million worth of chemicals were used in rubber compounding in 1970. These include vulcanizing agents, antioxidants, antiozonants, processing aids, plastioizers and softeners, and blowing agents. By 1975, value of such chemicals used likely will climb to $530 million. Also by the mid-1970's, rubber compounders will be spending close to $300 million on carbon black. This compares to $210 million last year, Hull & Co.'s L. G. Parkinson told the International Rubber Conference 1971 in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Parkinson's presentation on the rubber chemicals market was based on a survey of specialty chemicals for rubber compounding completed by Hull late last year (C&EN, Nov. 9, 1970, page 25). The conference was sponsored jointly by ACS's Division of Rubber Chemistry and Division of Chemical Marketing and Economics. Sales of chemicals used in compounding elastomers and in making rubber products amounted to $418.5 million in 1970 (excluding clays, fillers, carbon blacks, and pigments). Of the chemicals used, 39% are vulcanizing materials, 30% protective materials (such as antioxidants and antiozonants), 27% processing aids (such as oils and waxes), and 4% a variety of specialty products. Vulcanizers. Rubber compounders used about $160 million worth of vulcanizing materials (activators, accelerators, and vulcanizers) last year, 50% of which were activators. Most widely used activators are zinc oxides, fatty acids, and specialty products, such as fatty acid amines and zinc stearate. Consumption of zinc oxide, which accounts for about 60% of the activator market, totaled $50 million in 1970 and likely will grow 4% annually over the next few years—the same rate as the rubber industry, Mr. Parkinson says. Use of fatty acid amines, however, will increase about 6% per year. Consumption of accelerators— mainly thiazoles, thiurams, and dithiocarbamates—is also likely to grow at about the same rate as the rubber industry. Rubber compounders will step up their use of vulcanizers (sulfur and sulfur-containing compounds, peroxides, metal oxides, and special cures), however, particularly peroxides (7% growth per year) and special cures (8%). Protective materials, the second largest group of chemicals used in rubber compounding, had sales of $123.5 million in 1970. Of this total,
antioxidants accounted for 57% ($70 million), antiozonants 38% ($47 million), and specialties such as flame retardants and chelates, 5% ($6.5 million). Chemicals used as antioxidants are typically phenolic derivatives, either bisphenols or styrenated phenols. Their use will grow about 3.5 to 4% annually. Other, less widely used antioxidants such as /?-phenylene diamine (primarily used as an antiozonant) and the phenol naphthylamines as well as phosphates likely will show better growth than the phenols over the next five years. The antiozonant market is currently dominated by p-phenylene diamine and will continue to be so, Mr. Parkinson says. Use of this compound won't keep pace, however, with rubber industry growth, he says. "This somewhat slower growth rate is interesting because it is based on the growth of elastomers in the industry which do not require antiozonants such as the ethylene-propylene type elastomers," he adds. Chief chemicals used as flame retardants in rubber goods are antimony oxide and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Antimony oxide will continue to rule this market. Tackifiers. Last year the rubber industry consumed $116.5 million worth of processing materials such as tackifiers, softeners, plastioizers, tire cord adhesives, and peptizers. Tackifiers, which make up nearly 70% ($79 million) of processing materials consumed are resins largely of hydrocarbon, phenol, rosin, or coumaroneindene base. "With the exception of rosin and terpene resins, these processing aid products will continue to pace industry growth," Mr. Parkinson told the meeting. Plasticizer and softener products, primarily used in tire and tube making, represent a $20 million business. They are typically refinery oils, and their use will grow at about the same rate as that of the rubber industry. Consumption of vinyl pyridine and resorcinol formaldehyde resins, the compounds most widely used as tire cord adhesives, amounted to $15 million in 1970 and should grow to $21 million by 1975. All in all, the future looks fairly bright for chemicals used in rubber compounding, particularly in considering the outlook for the rubber industry. Goodrich forecasts U.S. rubber consumption will reach 3.2 million long tons by 1975, up 18% from this year's consumption.
