Abstract
Global production and consumption of butadiene in 2007 was approximately 10 million metric tons. Global capacity utilization was 85% in 2007; this was a slight increase from 2006. Global butadiene consumption is estimated to have increased by 3.7% in 2007, and is expected to increase by 3.2% per year from 2007 to 2012, declining to 2.5% per year from 2012 to 2017. Global utilization rates will average in the mid-80s range, gradually increasing to the high-80s range towards the end of the forecast period.
Styrene butadiene rubber (solid & latex) accounted for almost 36% of global butadiene consumption in 2007, followed by polybutadiene rubber and SB copolymer latex with 26% and 10% of total consumption, respectively. Other applications for butadiene include ABS resins, nitrile rubber, and adiponitrile/HMDA.
The following pie chart shows world consumption of butadiene by end use:
