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Polybutadiene elastomers are the second-largest end use for butadiene worldwide, accounting for about 26–28% of total butadiene consumption, second only to styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), which accounts for about 36–44% of butadiene consumption. Polybutadiene elastomers are also the second-largest group of synthetic elastomers consumed worldwide. Certain trends in different regions have influenced polybutadiene elastomer consumption. Russia and other Eastern European countries had a catastrophic drop-off in use during the 1990s because of the weakness of their economies and other problems associated with shifting from centrally planned governments. From 1990 to 1999, consumption of polybutadiene elastomer declined by about 10% per year. However, since 1999, polybutadiene elastomer consumption has experienced growth because of more stability in their economies and governments. Annual growth of about 4–5% is expected during 2007 to 2012, especially with increased economic cooperation among European nations. In Asia, China is currently undergoing rapid economic development and technological improvements, causing polybutadiene elastomer production and consumption to increase in the forecast period. Polybutadiene elastomer capacity operating rates in Asia are expected to be high in the next few years as demand continues to grow.
The following pie chart shows world consumption of polybutadiene elastomers:
Tires and tire products are responsible for about 69% of worldwide polybutadiene consumption. The dominance of tires in polybutadiene elastomer demand has slightly declined since 1980, when it accounted for 78%. Polybutadiene elastomer will continue to encounter variations in tire industry demand. Polybutadiene elastomer needs fluctuate with industry and customer preferences for different types of tires such as high-performance (lower polybutadiene elastomer content) or high-mileage (higher polybutadiene elastomer content). Tire wear and purchasing choices are directly influenced by driving habits and overall economic conditions. Retreading of truck tires tends to increase when prices of new tires increase. As a result, polybutadiene elastomer use declines slightly.
Nontire applications, especially impact modification of styrenic plastics, are becoming increasingly important. The impact-modification requirement for polybutadiene elastomer is 17–21% of the world demand. Polystyrene modification accounts for the majority of use, where polybutadiene elastomer provides toughness and impact resistance for high-impact polystyrene (HIPS). HIPS is the largest nontire end use. The next-largest market is ABS, where polybutadiene elastomer adds impact resistance to the copolymer. Other nontire uses in footwear, other rubber products and golf balls are a relatively small part of the market, contributing 7–12% of BR demand. High-cis polybutadiene is generally used worldwide for the manufacturing of golf balls. Specialty applications such as carboxyl- and hydroxyl-terminated BR grades are used in binders for rocket propellants and in sealants and waterproof membranes.
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