Insoluble Sulfur Market Growth & Trends

The global insoluble sulfur market size is projected to reach USD 1.2 billion by 2027 registering a CAGR of 2.9%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising demand for the product from global multinational tire manufacturers is projected to remain the key factor driving industry growth. Insoluble sulfur is a key element used in the rubber processing sector as it acts as an excellent vulcanizing agent.

However, the recent global pandemic has caused disruptions in the value chain of the rubber industry, in terms of feedstock procurement and distribution. The first quarter of 2020 observed significant downfall in the product consumption in the tire manufacturing sector. However, the market is projected to pick up pace by the end of 2020 and the product demand in is anticipated to start reflecting steady growth by the end of 2021.

In addition, Asia Pacific was observed to be the key consumer of various rubber products due to fast pace industrialization across China, India, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and multiple other Asian countries. The requirement for the product was also observed to be steadily growing from the footwear manufacturers in the region. China, followed by India, Vietnam, and Indonesia are the leading producers of footwear in the region which generates heavy demand for insoluble sulfur to maintain production consistency.

Moreover, looking at the high market opportunity, leading product formulators, such as Eastman Chemical Company, Oriental Carbon & Chemicals Ltd., and Nynas AB, have been focusing on expanding their current product holding as well as establish long-term relations with the end-use markets, especially tire manufacturers, to increase their market presence and simultaneously cater a broader customer base.

Europe has reflected a surge in the number of automobiles manufactured as well as number of vehicles on road since 2016. This has directly led to increased demand for tire replacements in the region as well as new product manufacturing to cater to the growing needs, especially from countries, such as Germany, Italy, France, and U.K. This eventually led to increasing demand for insoluble sulfur from the sector across these countries and the trend is likely to project similar patterns from 2022 to 2027 across these countries.

Insoluble Sulfur Market Report Highlights

  • High dispersion grade segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 2.7%, in terms of volume, from 2020 to 2027 due to increasing demand for the product from rubber industries as a dispersion agent
  • Footwear application segment is expected to witness the maximum CAGR of 3.7%, in terms of volume, from 2020 to 2027 due to the rising number of footwear manufacturers in Asia Pacific
  • North America accounted for the largest market share in 2019 owing to presence of a large number of tire manufacturers in the region coupled with increased rubber production capacity in U.S.
  • The industry is highly concentrated with four companies accounting for about 60% of the global market share