Butyl rubber (IIR for short) is the fourth largest type of synthetic rubber (SR) in the world. It is the product of the cationic polymerization of isobutylene and isoprene under the action of Friedel-Craft catalyst. Its appearance It is white or light yellow crystal, odorless and tasteless, has a very low glass transition temperature and is insoluble in ethanol and acetone. Because butyl rubber has excellent air tightness and good heat resistance, aging resistance, acid and alkali resistance, ozone resistance, solvent resistance, electrical insulation, shock absorption and low water absorption, it is widely used in inner tubes, water tires, Vulcanization bladders, airtight layers, sidewalls, wires and cables, waterproof building materials, shock-absorbing materials, medicinal bottle stoppers, food (chewing gum base), rubber dams, anti-virus equipment, adhesives, inner tube valve cores, anti-corrosion products, Wharf ship protection, bridge support pads and heat-resistant transport belts, etc.
The production of butyl rubber began in the 1940s. In 1943, Exxon Company realized the industrial production of butyl rubber at its Baton Rouge plant in the United States. In 1944, the Canadian Polysar Company built a butyl rubber production facility in Sarnia using American technology. After 1959, France, the United Kingdom, and Japan also began to produce butyl rubber. In 1991, Bayer purchased Polysar's entire synthetic rubber business, and Exxon also acquired the butyl rubber production equipment in France. Since then, the world's butyl rubber production has been basically monopolized by Exxon and Bayer. In 1982, the former Soviet Union built the world's only solution polymerization butyl rubber production facility in Togliatti. The polymerization reactor used was jointly developed by the Soviet Synthetic Rubber Research Institute and the Italian PI Company.
Halogenated butyl rubber (HⅡR) can be divided into two categories: chlorinated butyl rubber (CⅡR) and bromobutyl rubber (BⅡR). It is butyl rubber that reacts with chlorine or chlorine in an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent. The industrial production of bromine reaction product began in the late 1950s. In 1960, Exxon Company began producing chlorobutyl rubber at its Baton Rouge plant, and Polysar Company began producing bromobutyl rubber in 1971.
Only four countries in the world, the United States, Germany, Russia and Italy, have butyl rubber production technology. In the international market, the butyl rubber products of Exxon and Bayer are in a monopoly position, with a production capacity of approximately accounting for 80% of the world's total production capacity. In addition, these two companies are also world leaders in the development of new products and new technologies. There is only one synthetic rubber manufacturer in China, the Sinopec Yanshan Petrochemical Company's synthetic rubber factory. Its output cannot meet the actual domestic production demand. It imports a large amount every year, and its development and utilization prospects are broad.
The butyl rubber production technology and new product development capabilities of the American Exxon Company and the German Bayer Company are in an absolute leading position in the world. They do not transfer technology to external parties. The only halogenated butyl rubber production technology and production equipment are Owned by two companies. In 2004, there were 12 sets of devices in 9 countries around the world producing butyl rubber, with a total production capacity of 892kt/a, of which the production capacity in North America was 393kt/a, accounting for 44.1% of the world's total butyl rubber production capacity. %; Europe's production capacity is 264kt/a, accounting for 29.6% of the world's total production capacity; Asia-Pacific's production capacity is 145kt/a, accounting for 16.3% of the world's total production capacity; Central Europe and the CIS's production capacity is 90kt/ a, accounting for 10.1% of the world's total production capacity. Among them, Exxon's total butyl rubber production capacity is 459kt/a, accounting for 51.5% of the world's total butyl rubber production capacity; Bayer's total production capacity is 255kt/a, accounting for 28.6% of the world's total production capacity. Among the existing butyl rubber production equipment in the world, there are 6 sets using Exxon's patented technology, 3 of which can also produce halogenated butyl rubber; there are 2 sets of equipment using Bayer's production technology, both of which can produce butyl rubber and Halogenated butyl rubber; 2 sets of butyl rubber plants in Russia and 1 plant each in Romania and China can only produce butyl rubber. The production situation of the world's butyl rubber manufacturers in 2004 is shown in Table 1.
Consumption status
The development of the automobile industry and further requirements for automobile safety and comfort have accelerated the technological progress of radial automobile tires and the development of tubeless tires.
In the past few years, the world's total butyl rubber consumption has shown a steady growth trend, with the annual growth rate remaining at around 2%. Demand has increased in the past two years, with an average annual growth rate of about 5%. In 2003, the total consumption of butyl rubber in the world was approximately 747kt/a, of which the consumption of halogenated butyl rubber was approximately 500kt/a, accounting for approximately 66.9% of the total butyl rubber consumption. It is estimated that by 2006, the world's total butyl rubber consumption will exceed 800kt/a, of which halogenated butyl rubber will account for more than 70%. The world consumption of butyl rubber from 1996 to 2003 is shown in Table 2.
From 1993 to 1998, the average annual growth rate of butyl rubber consumption in the United States was 4.2%. From 1998 to 2002, the average annual growth rate of consumption was 1.5%. In 2002, the total consumption of butyl rubber in the United States was 4.2%. The consumption is 202kt/a, of which the output is 182kt/a, the import volume is 67kt/a, and the export volume is 47kt/a. About 80% of the products are used for the production of tires, rubber hoses, and tire products, and 9% are used for the production of automobile parts. , 6% is used in the production of adhesives, caulks and sealants, 4% is used in the pharmaceutical field, and 1% is used in other industries (mainly including electrical insulation, various linings, chewing gum and roof waterproofing membranes, etc.). Among them, halogenated butyl rubber is mainly used to produce tubeless tires, accounting for about 60% of the total butyl rubber consumption. It is expected that the consumption of butyl rubber in the United States will grow at an average annual rate of about 1.5% in the next few years. By 2006 The total annual consumption will reach about 220kt/a. The supply and demand situation of butyl rubber in the United States is shown in Table 3.
The average annual growth rate of butyl rubber consumption in Western Europe from 1997 to 2002 was approximately 4.8%. The total consumption in 2002 was 222kt/a, of which output was 236kt/a and import volume was 19kt/a. , the export volume is 33kt/a, 86.7% of the products are used in the production of tires, hoses and tire products, 5.2% are used in the production of automobile parts, and 8.1% are used in other fields (including adhesives, caulking glue, sealants, medicine, Electrical insulation, various linings, gum and roof waterproofing membranes, etc.). The tire industry is the main consumer of butyl rubber in Western Europe. France is the country with the highest concentration of butyl rubber consumption in Western Europe. Its consumption accounts for about 37% of the total butyl rubber consumption in Western Europe, followed by Germany, which accounts for about 37% of the total butyl rubber consumption in Western Europe. 27% of consumption. The consumption growth of butyl rubber in Western Europe mainly depends on the development of the automobile industry, especially the development direction and speed of several major automobile manufacturers. It is expected that butyl rubber consumption in Western Europe will not increase significantly in the next few years, and total consumption will reach approximately 230kt/a by 2006. The supply and demand situation of butyl rubber in Western Europe is shown in Table 4.
Due to the impact of the Asian financial crisis, Japan’s butyl rubber consumption declined from 1997 to 1998. It reached its lowest point in 1998, with consumption being only 44kt/a. Since then, it has grown rapidly. -The average annual growth rate of Japan's butyl rubber consumption in 2002 was approximately 13.9%. The total consumption in 2002 was 67kt/a, of which output was 72kt/a, import volume was 29kt/a, and export volume was 34kt/a. About 82.8% of the products are used in the production of tires, hoses and tire products, 10.9% are used in the production of industrial products such as adhesives, caulks, sealants, and medicines, and 6.3% are used in other fields (including electrical insulation, various linings, chewing gum, and Roof waterproofing membrane, etc.). In recent years, due to the promotion of tubeless tires, Japanese tubeless tires have accounted for 95% of the total tire market in Japan. Therefore, the consumption of halogenated butyl rubber has been increasing. The consumption of halogenated butyl rubber in Japan accounts for about 95% of the total butyl rubber. 70% of total consumption. It is expected that by 2006, Japan's total butyl rubber consumption will reach approximately 70kt/a.
Existing problems and development suggestions
By introducing foreign technology, China has built a 30kt/a butyl rubber production unit, and through continuous efforts in recent years, it has achieved Safe and stable production, output continues to increase, and the share of the domestic market gradually expands, meeting the actual domestic production needs to a certain extent. However, compared with developed countries abroad, there is still a certain gap, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
⑴ Small production capacity, low output, and low product self-sufficiency rate.
China's butyl rubber production capacity is only 30kt/a, which is far lower than its economic scale production level of 50kt/a
and even lower than the production scale of Exxon and Bayer of more than 70kt/a, causing production The cost is relatively high, the self-sufficiency rate of products is only about 30%, and it lacks competitiveness in the international market; ⑵ The development of technology is not enough, and the varieties and brands are still single. The three ordinary butyl rubber product brands introduced by China cannot yet be fully produced, and other modified butyl rubber products such as halogenated butyl rubber cannot yet be produced, resulting in a passive situation of large-scale imports of some high-grade products and poor sales of general products. To a certain extent, it has affected the healthy development of China's butyl rubber; (3) Product quality is not stable enough. Butyl rubber products produced in China still have some problems in terms of adhesion, yellowing, product batches, volatile matter, and Mooney value fluctuations, which need to be improved; (4) The product application range is small. About 84% of China's butyl rubber products are used in the automotive industry, and there are still relatively few applications in other areas; ⑸ The level of technical service cannot well meet the needs of users. In order to achieve rapid and healthy development of China's butyl rubber industry, it is recommended that:
⑴ Improve product quality, save energy and material consumption, and improve the competitiveness of products in the market. Product quality is a key factor in product competition. In view of the problems existing in China's butyl rubber products, we should increase technological reform efforts, continuously improve product quality, and regard user requirements as standards for product production; increase energy conservation and consumption reduction efforts, reduce production costs, and make products more popular in the domestic market. Be competitive.
⑵ On the premise of ensuring the normal and stable operation of existing butyl rubber production equipment, accelerate the research, development and production of new varieties and new grades, increase the number of domestic butyl rubber grades, and continuously improve the product variety structure , to better meet market demand. In addition, in addition to increasing the demand for butyl rubber in tire inner tubes, the butyl rubber market for non-inner tube rubber should also be actively developed.
(3) Expand the scale of production to meet the urgent needs of the domestic market and increase the share of the domestic market. China's butyl rubber production can only meet about one-third of domestic demand. As demand increases in the future, the satisfaction rate may be even lower. Therefore, it is recommended that qualified companies consider building 1 to 2 sets of 50kt/a. Production equipment of the above scale can meet the actual domestic production needs.
⑷Build a halogenated butyl rubber production unit as soon as possible. Halogenated butyl rubber occupies an important position in butyl rubber. With the development of application technology in China's radial tires, tubeless tires, medical bottle stoppers and other application fields, the domestic demand for halogenated butyl rubber will be increasing. Therefore, the country should start preparing or introducing halogenated butyl rubber production technology as soon as possible and put it into production as soon as possible, so as to meet the needs of the domestic rubber industry for the development of tubeless tires and other products as soon as possible.
⑸ Strengthen applied technology research and improve service awareness and level. Strengthen contact and cooperation with relevant domestic applied research units or tire and other manufacturing enterprises, and research and develop special formulas and processing technologies for inner tubes, water tires and bladders suitable for domestic butyl rubber. At the same time, an expert marketing team will be established to lay the foundation for the realization of a virtuous cycle of "market-development-production-market" for butyl rubber.
⑹ Actively expand exports and participate in competition in the international market. On the premise of meeting domestic demand, exports to the international market should be actively expanded, especially exports to South Korea and other Southeast Asian countries, in order to lay the foundation for butyl rubber to participate in international competition in the future.