Styrene-butadiene rubber: Feedstocks
Three-quarters butadiene, so crackers set the cost
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.SBR is about three-quarters butadiene, so the butadiene price sets its cost. Butadiene is a by-product of naphtha cracking, so naphtha-based Asian and European producers have it, while ethane-based US and Middle East crackers make little. Natural rubber is the main competitor, and the NR-SBR price gap moves tyre recipes at the margin.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butadiene (chemical tile: butadiene) | about 0.76 t per t ESBR (indicative) | rubbery backbone | about 60-65% of cash cost (indicative) | indicative; $1,095/t CFR China, 8 Sep 2025 (S&P Global Platts); EUR720/t Europe contract Dec 2025, down from EUR1,050/t in March; US spot $562/t end-Nov 2025 (GlobalData via Just Auto) |
| Styrene (chemical tile: styrene) | about 0.24 t per t ESBR (indicative) | stiffness and grip | about 20% (indicative) | indicative; $1,030/t Asia, 2 Mar 2026 (S&P Global via styrene tile) |
| Oil Crude oil | indirect; about 0.27 t extender oil in 1700 grades (indicative) | feed and extender | included above | indicative |
| Rbr Natural rubber | not an input | substitute in tyre treads | n/a | rubber tile (world output 14.83 Mt, FAOSTAT 2024) |
| Gas Natural gas | indirect | energy | about 5-10% (indicative) | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Integrated Asian producers with captive butadiene (Chinese refiners, Kumho, Reliance) are lowest cost. US producers buy expensive butadiene relative to ethylene. European producers face high energy costs and are closing ESBR capacity while keeping SSBR.