What are Rubber additives?
Rubber additives are substances added to both natural and synthetic rubber in order to obtain certain desirable properties. By using rubber additives, the effects of sunlight, heat, and various mechanical stress are minimized and hence increase the shelf life of the final product. Rubber is difficult to mold and hence additives help to improve the processability of the rubber and reduce degradation of rubber caused by the effects of ozone and UV light. Peptizers, processing aids, plasticizers, fillers, anti-degradants, and vulcanizing agents are some additives used in rubber. Rubber is an essential material in many end-use industries, including automotive, aerospace, construction and building, pharmaceuticals, and others. Growing demand for rubber in the industries boosts the Rubber Additive Market to provide durability and performance. Stringent government rules on the use of rubber additives can hinder the market.
Here are some of the driving factors that are increasing opportunities for the Rubber Additives market growth:
Growing demand for non-tire products:
The demand for rubber additives from non-tire rubber products is increasing. Various non-tire products such as rubber gloves, mats, rubber goods, toys, footwear, insulation, conveyor belts, and others use rubber additives to increase their shelf life. According to the Rubber Industry Global overview, non-tire applications account for the majority of users of rubber at 52 to 54 percent of the total. Hence increasing demand for non-tire products boosts the demand of the Rubber Additives Market.
Growing industrialization and urbanization:
Availability of resources, capital, labor, transportation, technology, and favorable government rules is motivating industrialization. Rapid urbanization and industrialization are increasing the demand for rubber and ultimately rubber additives. Exhaust pipes, airbags, covers, wiper blades, and tires of vehicles are made of rubber. The growing automotive industry drives the Rubber additive market. Also, the use of rubber additives in joints, gaskets, paints, and sound absorption in construction drives the market. Various types of rubber additives such as anti-degradants, processing aids, and accelerators are used in end-use industries that fuel the Rubber Additive Market growth.
Here are some of the restraining factors that are increasing opportunities for Rubber Additives market growth:
Strict environmental regulations by the government:
Strict environmental regulations lead to increased costs for rubber manufacturers, as they need to invest in new processes to comply with the regulations. This makes rubber products more expensive which can discourage consumers from purchasing them. Some rubber additives are banned under strict environmental regulations. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, rubber tire manufacturing facilities are major sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) emissions. This HAP includes hexane, toluene, formaldehyde, styrene, and methanol, which are associated with a variety of adverse health effects, such as chronic health disorders (e.g., polyneuropathy, degenerative lesions of the nasal cavity) and acute health disorders (e.g., respiratory irritation, nausea, blurred vision, and headaches). Hence, strict environmental regulations by the government hinder market growth.
To overcome this problem, the manufacturer can develop new additives to substitute harmful additives in order to meet environmental regulations.
Conclusion:
The effects of sunlight, heat, and various mechanical stress are minimized by using rubber additives and hence increase the shelf life of the final product. Growing demand for non-tire products and growing industrialization and urbanization worldwide drive the Rubber Additive Market. Strict environmental regulations lead to increased costs for rubber manufacturers which in turn increases the final cost of rubber products. Also, the manufacturing of rubber additives facilities is a major source of hazardous air pollutants, which hinders market growth.
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Aparna Dutta /
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Hello, I am a content writer with 3.5 years of experience. I have experience in various fields of content writing. For example, I have worked in a market research organization where I had to write content related to the reports that the company used to generate to improve their Google ranking. Other than that, I have also worked in website content as well as technical content for print and digital media magazines. Apart from this I am very flexible as a person and can adjust easily.
