TO support the development and production of neodymium-catalysed butadiene rubber (Nd-BR), China has initiated a four-year project to study the chemistry, engineering and practicality of a pilot-scale reactor. The project involves the nation’s top research institutions and universities such as Xinjiang Science and Technology Agency, Karamay Petrochemical, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun Institute of the National Science and Technology, and Xinjiang University. Meanwhile, since 2006, China’s carbon black production has surpassed that of the US and has increased at an average rate of 10% annually since then, reaching 3.4 million tonnes in 2010. The country’s capacity is 5 million tonnes/year with average capacity utilisation of only 70% during 2010, according to an industry report from Chinese research firm CCM.
With the passenger car sales in China rising by nearly 33% in 2010, domestic demand for tyres and therefore, also for carbon black, has been booming. However, the growth of China’s tyre manufacturing sector has been slightly hampered by the imposition of anti-dumping duties on passenger car tyres imported from China into the US from early 2010. Nevertheless, exports in 2011 are expected to double the 2010 level. (PRA)
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