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This product review provides a world overview of elastomer supply/demand; however, the CEH reports on each of the individual elastomers are the definitive source of data and information for each material.
Asian countries hold most of the world’s natural rubber tree plantations. In 2007, these regions supplied about 93% of the total world production of natural rubber. The leading producers were Thailand (32%), Indonesia (29%), Malaysia (12%) and India (8%).
During 2004–2007, consumption of synthetic elastomers in China grew rapidly and accounted for 26% of total world consumption in 2007, further extending China’s lead in global consumption. In the same period, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia also grew rapidly. On the other hand, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Japan grew at considerably slower rates.
The following pie charts show world consumption of synthetic elastomers:
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SBR elastomers are the largest commodity rubber consumed in China, Western Europe, North America, Japan and the Republic of Korea. China is the major consumer of SBR elastomers, followed by Western Europe, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Polybutadiene elastomers are the second-largest group of synthetic elastomers consumed. The United States had led in polybutadiene consumption until 2006 when it was surpassed by China. In 2007, China accounted for 29% of the total consumption. The United States was second, with 27%, followed by Western Europe with 24% and Japan with 12%. The Republic of Korea accounted for 5%.
In contrast to general-purpose elastomers, specialty elastomers offer one or more definite outstanding performance attributes, such as heat resistance, low-temperature flexibility, weatherability or chemical resistance. Specialty elastomers are generally relatively high in price and are used only in applications where their specific outstanding performance features are necessary to meet technically demanding design conditions; consequently, the volumes consumed are relatively small. A wide variety of specialty elastomers are available, offering design engineers an opportunity to select the material with optimum performance and cost for the specific application.
Major applications for specialty elastomers are in automotive components and parts, wire and cable insulation and jacketing, aerospace equipment, industrial belts, hoses and tubing and other applications where high-temperature resistance, oil resistance, and weatherability are required; sealants and caulks; pond and pit liners and roofing membranes; medical equipment and implants; components and pollution control systems; and a host of miscellaneous uses.
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