The insoluble sulfur market has seen considerable growth due to a variety of factors.
• The size of the insoluble sulfur market has significantly expanded in the past few years. Its growth is projected to increase from $1.07 billion in 2024 to $1.13 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%.
Factors such as the demand from tire production, the burgeoning automotive industry, emphasis on the quality of rubber, global economic patterns, and the accessibility of raw materials have contributed to the growth during the historic period.
The insoluble sulfur market is expected to maintain its strong growth trajectory in upcoming years.
• The market size of insoluble sulfur is predicted to witness substantial growth in the upcoming years, surging to $1.41 billion by 2029 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5%.
Factors contributing to this projected growth in the forecast timeline include environmentally friendly practices in the rubber industry, an increase in car manufacturing, improvements in vulcanization procedures, a move towards high-quality rubber merchandise, and strict ecological regulations. Prominent trends expected during the forecast period comprise of a growing demand in end-user industries, technological progress in production, global economic conditions, market unification and collaborative strategies, as well as variances in the cost of raw materials.
The rise in the count of vehicles that traverse the roadways is anticipated to stimulate the expansion of the insoluble sulfur market. On-road automobiles, which are self-propelled and designed for use on roads, necessitate insoluble sulfur, an essential raw material used in the production of tires. This substance enhances the quality, durability, and resistance to aging and fatigue of tires. Therefore, the growing number of such vehicles is anticipated to energize the insoluble sulfur market. To illustrate, the Department for Transport, hailing from the UK, declared in June 2023 that at the close of December 2022, more than 1.1 million licensed plug-in vehicles, constituting 2.8% of all vehicles, were on the roads. Furthermore, the total tally of licensed vehicles in the UK touched 40.7 million, marking a 1.0% upswing from the closing period of December 2021. Consequently, this rising traction of on-road vehicles is accelerating the growth of the insoluble sulfur market.
The insoluble sulfur market covered in this report is segmented –
1) By Product: Non-Oil-Filled Insoluble Sulfur, Oil-Filled Insoluble Sulfur
2) By Grade: Regular Grades, High Dispersion Grades, High Stability Grades, Special Grades
3) By Application: Tire Manufacturing, Footwear, Industrial Application, Cable And Wire, Pipe, Other Applications
4) By End-User: Automotive, Medical, Consumer Goods, Other End-Users
Subsegments:
1) By Non-Oil-Filled Insoluble Sulfur: Precipitated Non-Oil-Filled Insoluble Sulfur, Granular Non-Oil-Filled Insoluble Sulfur
2) By Oil-Filled Insoluble Sulfur: Precipitated Oil-Filled Insoluble Sulfur, Granular Oil-Filled Insoluble Sulfur
The primary businesses in the insoluble sulfur market have a strategic focus on setting up new production facilities to accommodate the growing needs of the rubber and tire production industries. These sectors heavily rely on insoluble sulfur to improve the robustness, lifespan, and thermal resistance of rubber items. As a crucial additive, insoluble sulfur elevates the efficacy of vulcanization and minimizes blooming during storage, thus enhancing the functionality of rubber-based commodities such as tires, belts, and hoses. Specifically, in October 2022, China Sunsine Chemical Holdings Ltd., which is headquartered in Singapore, initiated two major projects. These encompass Continuous Production of High-Quality MBT (Phase 1 Project), and Insoluble Sulfur (Phase 2 Project); both boasting an output capacity of 60,000 tonnes annually. The former project will be a crucial contributor to the production of various rubber accelerators, thereby improving rubber manufacturing in terms of efficiency and sustainability—most notably in the tire production sector. The latter, Insoluble Sulfur Phase 2 Project, will deliver essential vulcanization substances to enhance the robustness, durability, and thermal endurance of rubber products. This, in turn, will prolong the performance and lifespan of tires and various industrial applications, including adhesives, sealants, and coatings.
Major companies operating in the insoluble sulfur market include:
• Eastman Chemical Company
• Grupa Azoty S.A.
• KUMHO PETROCHEMICAL
• China Sunsine Chemical Holdings Limited
• Nynas AB
• Rongcheng Chemical General Factory
• Willing New Materials Technology Co. Ltd.
• Oriental Carbon and Chemicals Limited
• Henan Kailun Chemical Co. Ltd.
• Shikoku Chemical Industry Co. Ltd.
• Lions Industries s.r.o
• Tianjin Kemai Chemical Co. Ltd.
• Hubei Xiangyun (Group) Chemical Co. Ltd.
• Zhengzhou Double Vigour Chemical Product Co. Ltd.
• Ningbo Actmix Rubber Chemicals Co. Ltd.
• Shanghai Shangyi Chemical Technology Company
• Sennics Co. Ltd.
• Eastar Chemical Corporation
• Luoyang Sunrise Industrial Co. Ltd.
• Weifang Jiahong Chemical Co. Ltd.
• Changde Dingyuan Chemical Industrial Limited
• Leader Technologies Co. Ltd
• Kemai Chemical Co. Ltd.
• Puyang Willing Chemicals Co. Ltd.
• Jiangxi Shengchang Technology Co. Ltd.
• Hebi Hengli Chemical Co. Ltd.
• Jingcheng Chemical (Dalian) Co. Ltd.
• Chongqing Huayi Chemical Co. Ltd.
• Jining Fortune Biotech Co. Ltd.
• Wuhan Jiehong International Trading Co. L
Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the insoluble sulfur market in 2024. The regions covered in the insoluble sulfur market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.