Rubber chemicals: Feedstocks
Why benzene and aniline prices flow into your tyres
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.Most rubber chemicals are aniline derivatives, so benzene and nitric acid prices flow through. Carbon disulphide and sulphur supply the thiazole ring, and amines and ketones finish the molecules. Producers integrated into aniline and 4-ADPA, mostly in China, are lowest cost.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aniline (from benzene via nitrobenzene) | about 0.56 t per t MBT; 4-ADPA route for PPDs (stoichiometry) | aromatic backbone | largest (indicative) | stoichiometry; CARE names benzene, chlorinated aromatics and amines as key raw materials |
| S Sulfur | 0.46 t CS2 and 0.19 t S per t MBT (stoichiometry) | thiazole ring; insoluble sulphur | moderate | stoichiometry |
| Oil Crude oil | 0.37 t MIBK per t 6PPD (stoichiometry) | petrochemical inputs | large | stoichiometry |
| Gas Natural gas | 0.31 t tert-butylamine per t TBBS (stoichiometry) | sulphenamide amine; reductive alkylation | moderate | stoichiometry |
Who is low-cost, and why
Large integrated Chinese plants set the floor; NOCIL and other non-Chinese producers compete on quality, reliability and tyre-maker approvals, and rely on trade defence in downturns.
Raw materials on the commodity table
Oil Crude oilS SulfurWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| SBR Styrene-butadiene rubber | main tyre rubber cured with these accelerators |
| BR Polybutadiene rubber | tyre sidewalls and treads |
| EPDM EPDM | uses thiurams and dithiocarbamates or peroxides |