In the synthetic rubber industry, SBR latex, nitrile latex, and pyridine latex are the three common and widely used emulsion polymers.SBR latex is a synthetic rubber made from the copolymer of butadiene and styrene. Nitrile latex is an oil-resistant synthetic rubber copolymerized by butadiene and nitrile vinyl. Pyridine latex is a special synthetic rubber copolymerized by butadiene, styrene, and pyridine.
As the common general-purpose synthetic rubber, the price trend of SBR latex has always been the focus of industry attention. In recent years, affected by the price fluctuations of raw materials butadiene and styrene, the price of SBR latex has also fluctuated to a certain extent. But generally speaking, due to mature production technology and sufficient supply, the price of SBR latex is relatively stable. However, with the growth in demand from downstream industries such as tires and shoe soles, the price of SBR latex is expected to rise slightly in the future.
In contrast, the price of nitrile butadiene latex is higher than that of styrene butadiene latex. This is mainly because nitrile latex has oil resistance and chemical corrosion resistance, and is widely used in the manufacturing of oil seals, sealing rings, and other fields. Due to the high cost of nitrile vinyl monomer and the complexity of the production process, the production cost of nitrile latex is high, and therefore the selling price is relatively expensive. In recent years, with the rapid development of the automobile industry, the demand for nitrile latex has continued to increase, and the price has also shown an upward trend.
Pyridine latex is regarded as a high-end special rubber due to its performance in oil resistance, heat resistance, and weather resistance, and its price is naturally among the three. Pyridine latex not only requires raw materials such as butadiene and styrene but also requires the introduction of pyridine monomer, which greatly increases the production cost. In addition, the application fields of pyridine latex are relatively narrow, mainly concentrated in automobile engines, fuel tanks, and other components. The contradiction between supply and demand has kept its price at a high level. In addition to raw materials and production costs, the prices of SBR latex, nitrile latex, and pyridine latex are also affected by downstream demand, market supply, trade policies, and other factors. For example, when the prosperity of industries such as tires and shoe soles increases, the demand for SBR latex will increase, thus driving up its price.
When the automobile industry encounters a cold, the prices of nitrile latex and pyridine latex will also be affected to a certain extent. In addition, fluctuations in crude oil prices will also have a certain impact on the prices of these three types of latex. Crude oil is an upstream raw material in the petrochemical industry, and its price changes will affect the cost of downstream products through the transmission mechanism. When crude oil prices rise, the production costs of SBR latex, nitrile-butadiene latex, and pyridine latex will also increase accordingly, thus pushing up their selling prices.
In general, SBR latex, nitrile latex, and pyridine latex are the three pillar products of the synthetic rubber industry. Their price trends are not only related to the development prospects of the entire industry but also directly affect the cost control of downstream manufacturing industries. Enterprises need to pay close attention to the price changes of these three types of latex, assess the situation, and formulate reasonable procurement strategies and production plans to maintain their competitiveness.