EPDM: Feedstocks
Cheap olefins plus one costly diene
What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.EPDM is mostly ethylene and propylene, which are cheapest from ethane and propane in the US and Middle East. ENB, a small share by weight but several times the price per tonne, comes from butadiene and cyclopentadiene and is made by few companies. Feedstock is about 50-60% of EPDM cash cost; solvent recovery energy is the next largest item (indicative).
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethylene (chemical tile: ethylene) | about 0.45-0.75 t (indicative) | main backbone monomer | about 30% of cash cost (indicative) | indicative; ethylene CFR Asia in the $700s/t expected for 2026 (ChemOrbis, Dec 2025, via ethylene tile) |
| Propylene (chemical tile: propylene) | about 0.2-0.5 t (indicative) | breaks crystallinity, gives elasticity | about 15% (indicative) | indicative; propylene CFR Asia in the $700s/t expected for 2026 (ChemOrbis via propylene tile) |
| Ethylidene norbornene (ENB, from butadiene and cyclopentadiene) | about 0.02-0.12 t (indicative) | cure site for sulphur vulcanisation | about 10-15% (indicative) | indicative; butadiene tile lists ENB among butadiene uses |
| Gas Natural gas | indirect | feedstock and energy | energy about 10-15% (indicative) | indicative |
| Oil Crude oil | indirect | feed outside gas regions; oil-extended grades | included above | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
US Gulf and Saudi plants on ethane-based ethylene are lowest cost. Korean and Chinese plants are mid-curve. European plants on naphtha olefins and expensive energy sit at the top.
Raw materials on the commodity table
Oil Crude oilGas Natural gasWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| Lub Lubricant additives | EPM and OCP viscosity modifiers are made in EPDM plants |