Benefiting from national policy support, the styrene-based elastomer (SEPS) industry is developing rapidly

Styrene-based elastomer (SEPS) refers to styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block copolymer, which is a subdivision of thermoplastic elastomers. Styrene-based elastomers have the advantages of high resilience, high strength, and wear resistance, and are widely used in medical materials, optical fiber cables and other fields.

Styrene-based elastomers usually use styrene as the base. my country is a major producer of styrene, and its output is growing rapidly. In 2021, my country’s styrene production reached 134.596 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 51.2%. At present, my country’s styrene industry has entered a stage of rapid development. Benefiting from continuous breakthroughs and innovations in production technology, local companies have rapidly expanded their production capacity and continued to grow their output. The sufficient supply of raw materials provides favorable conditions for the development of my country’s styrene-based elastomer industry.

In recent years, the state has encouraged the development of the styrene-based elastomer industry and introduced many policies to support it. The “First Batch Application Demonstration Guidance Catalog of Key New Materials (2021 Edition)” issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will be officially implemented from January 1, 2022. The document clearly includes styrene-based elastomers in the special rubber catalog among advanced chemical materials. . Driven by national policies, the prosperity of my country’s styrene-based elastomer industry will continue to improve.

The styrene-based elastomer industry has high technical barriers. my country is still in the initial stage of industrialization, and high-end products have long relied on imports. In August 2017, Hainan Baling Petrochemical Co., Ltd. completed and put into operation my country’s first industrial unit for styrene-based elastomers with an annual output of 20,000 tons, filling the gap in the research and development and production of styrene-based elastomers in my country. As local companies continue to make breakthroughs in production technology, my country’s styrene-based elastomer industry will gradually develop in a high-end direction.

According to the “2022-2027 China Styrene-based Elastomer (SEPS) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report span>》shows that at present, the major players in the global styrene-based elastomer market include Japan’s Kuraray Company, Royal Dutch Shell Group Shell, and the American RTP Company. The main manufacturers of styrene-based elastomers in my country include Hainan Baling Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Zhonghe Technology Co., Ltd., Ningbo Changhong Polymer Technology Co., Ltd., etc. In recent years, styrene-based elastomers have been widely used in medical materials, engineering plastics, cosmetics and other fields. Driven by market demand, my country’s styrene-based elastomer manufacturers have developed rapidly and their comprehensive strength has continued to improve.

         Industry analysts said that styrene-based elastomers have excellent properties and are widely used in medical materials, optical fiber cables and other fields. As market demand continues to grow, the development space of my country’s styrene-based elastomer industry will continue to expand. At present, my country’s styrene-based elastomer industry is still in its infancy. Restricted by factors such as high technical barriers, high-end products are highly dependent on imports. As local companies continue to make breakthroughs in production technology, the localization process of high-end styrene-based elastomers in my country will further accelerate.