Low cis-butadiene rubber (LCBR) can be used to produce high-impact polystyrene. my country’s demand is highly dependent on imports.

Low cis butadiene rubber (LCBR), also known as low cis polybutadiene rubber, low cis butadiene rubber, and lithium butadiene rubber, refers to cis butadiene rubber with a cis content between 35% and 40%. Low-cis butadiene rubber has the advantages of low operating cost, not easy to deform, wear-resistant, and aging-resistant. It can be used to produce high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). It is widely used in automobile tires, conveyor belts and other fields.

​​​According to the different cis structure content, butadiene rubber (BR) can be divided into three types: high cis butadiene rubber, low cis butadiene rubber and medium cis butadiene rubber. my country is a major consumer of butadiene rubber. The market is in short supply and demand is highly dependent on imports. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, my country’s butadiene rubber imports will reach 196,000 tons in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 4.2%. Low cis butadiene rubber is a subdivided product of cis butadiene rubber. Affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Russia has gradually become my country’s main importer of low cis butadiene rubber.

According to the “2023-2028 China Low Smooth Butadiene Rubber (LCBR) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report span>》shows that low-cis butadiene rubber is the raw material of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). High-impact polystyrene has the advantages of high impact strength, good heat resistance, easy processing, and good dimensional stability. It is widely used in medical, construction, automobile manufacturing, communication systems and other fields. In 2022, my country’s high-impact polystyrene production capacity will reach nearly 2 million tons, a year-on-year increase of nearly 20%. Benefiting from the accelerated development of the end product industry, my country’s low-smooth butadiene rubber market demand will further grow.
                              
​ ​ ​ ​ Low-smooth butadiene rubber is mainly used in the tire field. As automobile production and sales continue to grow, the prosperity of my country’s tire industry continues to increase. Low-smooth butadiene rubber can be used to produce all-steel radial tires. According to statistics from the Tire Branch of the China Rubber Industry Association, my country’s all-steel radial tire production will reach 150 million units in 2021. In recent years, with the improvement of independent research and development capabilities of local enterprises, my country’s domestically produced low-smooth butadiene rubber has been widely used in the field of all-steel radial tires.

The low-shun butadiene rubber industry has good development prospects, attracting many companies to lay out their R&D and production tracks. Major players in the global low-smooth butadiene rubber market include Japan’s Asahi Kasei Company, South Korea’s Kumho Petrochemical Co., Ltd., and Russia’s NKNH Company, etc. In terms of the local market, Changhong Hi-Tech is the representative enterprise of low-shun butadiene rubber in my country.

Industry analysts said that low-smooth butadiene rubber has excellent comprehensive properties and has broad application prospects in the tire field. As downstream demand gradually increases Release, the industry development speed continues to accelerate. my country’s production capacity of low-cis butadiene rubber is relatively low, and its demand is highly dependent on imports. Russia is my country’s main importing country. In the future, as local companies continue to exert their efforts, the localization process of my country’s low-smooth butadiene rubber market will accelerate.