Styrene is mainly used in the manufacture of homopolymers and copolymers. These include polystyrene (PS), expandable polystyrene (EPS), styrene copolymers (such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resins, styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and styrene-butadiene latexes), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and unsaturated polyester resins.
Around half of styrene consumption is used in polystyrene manufacture. High styrene prices as a result of the volatile benzene market have forced PS prices to a level where demand has suffered.
Styrene is only growing significantly in China and other developing countries. However, the global styrene market saw a sharp contraction in 2008 due to the economic downturn. Meanwhile, new plants in the Middle East and Northeast Asia will increase the overcapacity in the market.
Styrene is produced predominately by ethylbenzene(EB)-based technology. EB is first made by the catalytic alkylation of benzene with ethylene and then dehydrogenated to styrene. The coproduction of styrene with propylene oxide by the PO/SM process had been gaining popularity.
Pure styrene is a colourless to yellow, oily liquid that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell. Styrene is highly flammable, forms explosive mixtures in air, is dangerous when exposed to flame, heat or oxidants and on decomposition, emits acrid fumes.
Styrene
Price Reports
ICIS pricing gives you access on a weekly or real time basis to the latest price movements and critical market commentary on the Styrene market. Click below to see a quarterly market overview.
More about Styrene Price Reports
Styrene
Uses and Outlook
Styrene is mainly used in the manufacture of homopolymers and copolymers. These include polystyrene (PS), expandable polystyrene (EPS), styrene copolymers (such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resins, styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and styrene-butadiene latexes), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and unsaturated polyester resins.
More about Styrene Uses and Outlook
Styrene
Process Technologies
Styrene is produced predominately by ethylbenzene(EB)-based technology. EB is first made by the catalytic alkylation of benzene with ethylene, using either aluminium chloride or, more recently, zeolite catalysts. The reaction can be carried out in either vapour or liquid phases (see chemical intelligence report on ethylbenzene).
More about Styrene Process Technologies
Search for
Styrene
Suppliers
If you are sourcing
Styrene
products and services, use ICIS search for fast and accurate results. ICIS search
is the search engine dedicated to the chemical industry – we show you only relevant
results -
search now.
Styrene
Plants and Projects
Get the latest information on global
Styrene
plants and projects