Specialty Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Market Assessment, By Product Type [High Nitrile (>45% ACN content), Medium Nitrile (30-45% CAN content), Low Nitrile (<30% ACN)], By Application [Oil Resistant, Ozone Resistant, Extrusion, Food Contact, Personal Protect

Specialty Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Market Assessment, By Product Type [High Nitrile (>45% ACN content), Medium Nitrile (30-45% CAN content), Low Nitrile (<30% ACN)], By Application [Oil Resistant, Ozone Resistant, Extrusion, Food Contact, Personal Protective Equipment, Others], By End-user [Oil & Gas, Automotive, Chemical Industry, Food & Beverage, Others], By Region, Opportunities and Forecast, 2016-2030F

Global Specialty Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Market was valued at USD 551.34 million in 2022, expected to reach USD 754.55 million in 2030 with a CAGR of 4% for the forecast period between 2023 and 2030. Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR), also known as acrylonitrile, is a synthetic rubber produced by emulsion polymerization and is highly resistant to oil and is extensively used in numerous applications. NBR possesses distinguished features like wear and oil resistance, delivering excellent miscibility and processability. It is used as a conveyor belt in airports as it can conveniently carry heavy items accompanied by automated systems in factories and distribution centers. Due to its excellent oil and wear resistance, NBR consequently leads to minimal deformation.

Advancement in Automotive Industry is Augmenting the Specialty Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Market

Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) belongs to the family of unsaturated copolymers of butadiene and acrylonitrile that resemble high gas impermeability and impeccable wear and abrasion resistance. These rubbers can be operated at a service temperature in the range of 110-120°C and, at lower temperatures shows no crystallization. The automotive industry significantly relies on specialized rubber products which should be stringent to resist and deal with fluids and greases in automotive applications. Automotive parts are frequently exposed to tough oils, greases, and fuels where NBR being resistant to such components are extensively used that create huge potential for nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) market.

Data released by The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India states that the auto component industry in India during FY 2021-2022 resembles a remarkable growth of USD 56.5 billion registering a phenomenal rise of 23%. The number of manufacturers involved in the production of automobiles and their parts has substantially increased to over 34 in Fortune 500 companies listing after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specialty Nitrile Butadiene Rubber is Augmenting Industrial Operations and Logistics

Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) possesses excellent oil resistance and is frequently used as conveyor belts in airports as luggage carriers along with automated factories and distribution centers. For transportation of specific products in provided conditions like hot temperature or chemical processing, NBR is chosen as a suitable material for accomplishing relevant transportation. NBR can effectively carry heavy items, which gives it the advantage of being used in multiple distribution systems for logistic operations. These conveyor belts are associated with forestry and recycling plants and are suitable for fertilizer, chemical, grain processing, and in the building industries.

A report published by International Air Transport Association (IATA) states that in 2022 cargo industry generated a huge revenue of USD 191 billion where it is expected to transport over 68 million tons of cargo. Compared to August 2022, in August 2023, the cargo volumes across Asia-Pacific airlines accomplished a massive growth of 4.9%.

Applications of Specialty Nitrile Butadiene Rubber as Ozone and Grease Resistance

The polarity and property of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) is highly influenced by the content of acrylonitrile (ACN) content. Higher content of acrylonitrile enhances the polymer’s polarity that ultimately generates resistance in non-polar media like grease, fat, fuels, etc. Fully saturated grades in which the content of ACN varies in the range of 14-45% deliver an excellent abrasion and ozone resistance. Accounting for these unique properties, NBR shows remarkable performance in aggressive fluids like automatic transmission fluids, power steering fluids, brake fluids, etc. Arlanxeo Performance Elastomers has developed a superior line of NBR products that is recognized as ideal for long-term performance and provides an excellent combination of low and high-temperature variables along with ozone and oil resistance. These NBR products are substantially used for air conditioning hoses, overflow caps, high-pressure hydraulic hoses, etc.

Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 impacted the production activities across various end-use industries. The shutdown of industrial operations due to imposed lockdowns and less workforce impacted numerous sectors including polymers. The automotive industry was severely influenced by the COVID-19 impact where the demand falls inappropriately. However, with ease in restrictions and after COVID-19, companies started to increase their production capacity substantially, which led to huge market potential for the nitrile butadiene rubber market (NBR).

Key Players Landscape and Outlook

The Specialty Nitrile Butadiene Rubber market is successfully growing with the increasing demand of oil and abrasion resistant materials that is progressively used in prominent applications. Versalis S.p.A. is one of the leading companies in developing effective nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) whether alone or in blend with PVC. By the trade name Europrene N they developed that has excellent resistance to gasoline, aliphatic hydrocarbons, greases in wide range of temperature -50 to +130°C. Their NBR properties depend on the content of acrylonitrile (ACN) where the higher content of ACN lead to lower gas permeability and higher resistance to oil and gas. They also have green type ACN-NBR that shows excellent flexibility at low temperatures and successively used in food contact applications.

A series of developments for Versalis S.p.A. is taking it to phenomenal heights. For instance, in September 2023, Technip Energies and Versalis S.p.A. joined a common program to integrate plastic waste recycling technologies. Thus, the increasing partnerships will boost the demand for specialty nitrile butadiene rubber during the projected forecast period.