(A) the rubber industry is the world's major traditional industries

The so-called rubber industry in the international arena mainly refers to an elastic material such as rubber-based material, mixed with carbon black reinforcement Vice materials for a class, and add a variety of functional additives, combined with fiber, metal and other materials as a support skeleton, after molding and vulcanization of rubber products industry made​​. Different from the rubber industry as a raw material for natural rubber and synthetic rubber industry in recent years, which in turn called the rubber processing industry, the economy in the industrial rubber products industry called.
World rubber industry after 160 years of development, has now become many important traditional industries in developed countries, and now in the global rubber consumption reached 17 million tons or more, about 100,000 kinds of rubber products throughout human society in various fields. Rubber industry in the second industry group, with elastomer materials industry is unique. Recently three decades, the rubber industry in the 1970s due to the two world oil crisis, the emergence of the global rubber industry by expanding the amount of long relied on as the primary means to increase economic efficiency, and gradually converted to improving quality, increasing variety and continue to reduce production costs as the goal of the new era.
Faced with the current world of traditional rubber products serious excess capacity, the increasingly competitive market and business efficiency declining situation. Experts believe that with the rapid development of the global high-tech for a thorough restructuring of the traditional rubber industry, transformation and reform has become an inevitable trend. The only way out is to accelerate industrial upgrading, promote the new generation of products, so as soon as possible high-tech of the rubber industry.

(B) the current development status and characteristics of the world rubber industry

Currently, sales of the world's rubber industry has more than 250 billion U.S. dollars, rubber products has become an important commodity in international trade. On the world market, has formed a tire rubber products for the center, industrial, building supplies, focusing on involving shoes, blankets and other household products as well as the major categories of health care, culture, sports and other product groups. Modern rubber industry formed the following six characteristics:
1, the rubber industry is inclusive large multi-category industries. In the world rubber consumption, the rubber industry consumes more than 80 percent of global rubber. Material and its processing by the total production of rubber products reached 35 million tons or more, can be summed up into a tire, tube, strip, plate and a variety of profiles, plastic pieces, glue and rubber shoes, tape, etc. more than 10 categories. They involve the national economy and people's lives as well as the defense industry, cutting-edge high-tech, etc., are widely used in cushioning, sealing, adhesion, abrasion, corrosion, insulation, electrical conductivity and many other areas, mostly rubber and fiber, metal, plastics a solid combination of a composite of rubber. Throughout rubber products, from using glue, the largest tire, accounting for more than 50 percent, industrial, medical and public health, sports three accounted for 30%, household products to shoes represented, accounting for about 10%. Rubber products mainly consumed in areas such as transportation, construction, industry, science and technology, in which the dependence of transportation and building the largest.
Today, about 65% of the rubber is used in the automotive industry, is also the most used types of plastic. The amount of a car with plastic has more than 100 kg, of which tire is 37.8 kg; various rubber products amounted to more than 200 species, car coat with a rubber products now account for more than 10% of the total cost of the car, they are large enough to tire , airbags, and a fan belt, brake pipe, heat pipes, air pipes, seals, small oil seals, O rings, gaskets, shock absorbers, diaphragm and other traveling agency located in the car, engine, body, etc. transmission, damping, sealing, dust, air conditioning and security of each system.
Building a rubber material about 15% to 20% of rubber consumption, second only to tires. In addition to the construction site with a variety of construction machinery and transportation equipment outside, mainly used in all kinds of structures above for waterproofing, sealing, shock, noise, such as building waterproof rubber membrane and so on. Flexible structures seam sealant used around the world is estimated at 500,000 tons per year above the minimum requirements, of which nearly half of the silicone rubber, polyurethane series of around 30%. In addition, indoor dust, noise gasket, rubber cushions seismic ground, in recent years has become a modern high-rise buildings, buildings Square indispensable material.
2, the tire rubber industry has become the most representative of the industry. Tire industry has been the pillar industry of the rubber industry. Whether the tire industry is a symbol in the rubber industry level technically and economically, and its use of plastic accounted for more than 50%, and there is an upward trend. Now tire production worldwide has reached 1.1 billion, sales of over 70 billion U.S. dollars. The rubber industry has 80% of large enterprises are concentrated in the tire industry.
The world's top ten tire manufacturers in recent years, with annual sales of over $ 1 billion have been. The world's existing 470 tire factory (China occupies 55), distributed in 79 countries and regions, while the United States Goodyear, Michelin and Bridgestone in Japan three multinational companies that have 152 plants, accounting for 36.6%, divided in the 69 countries and regions, accounted for more than 54% of the world.
In addition to China, the vast majority of the world's tire plant in an annual 5 million, the consumption of more than 40,000 tons of plastic scale. Big Three tire world outside their home countries, has annual consumption of about 100,000 tons of plastic in the world-class tire factory, and there is a comprehensive display of high-tech automated pilot production line, equipped with robots. South Korea has built the world's largest tire factory.
Currently the world's tire industry development characteristics: one is to focus on the top ten manufacturers, while also pulling large distance between the top ten (after a difference of more than 10 times), the formation of the first group (the tires of the Big Three), and the second group (three multinational tire company) and the third group (four large tire company); hand is transferred from the United States and Europe to Asia. China, Japan and South Korea in tire production has begun to surpass North America.
2000, China's rubber consumption reached 2.1 million tons, 120 million tire production. From the amount of glue, it lasts for more than three years, 1.8 million tons in Japan, ranking second in the world; tire production is about two-thirds of Japan's 170 million, ranking third in the world. Currently, the United States, Japan, and China has become the world's three major tire producers. Over the past decade, the United States remains the leading position in the world rubber industry, rubber consumption accounted for 20% of the world (3.5 million tons), tire production accounted for 23% of the world (2.5 million), driven by the information industry and other high-tech its rubber industry in technology, the economy is a world leader.
3, structural changes in industry and daily necessities of life continues to accelerate. With the rubber tire manufacturing industry dominated by growing tendency, industrial products and life and other rubber products relatively slow growth with glue. Rubber and plastic blends, composites and resins tendency will continue to strengthen.
In industrial products, in addition to damping rubber, rubber thread and a few other products are still natural rubber-based, but many have been replaced for the rubber and plastic products or plastic products, with tape, hose and tape products most prominent.
Wire and cable was originally a member of the rubber industry, but from the 1940s, has been completely out of the rubber industry to form their own independent system. Subsequently, asbestos rubber products also separated form the asbestos rubber industry. Sixties, along with the rapid development of synthetic adhesives, rubber adhesives and resin adhesive to form a close relationship with each other, but also gradually constitute adhesives and sealants industries.
In addition, from the beginning of the seventies, due to the interpenetration of shoes and leather shoes, shoes and plastic shoes, there are many new varieties of various shoes, casual shoes, athletic shoes and functional shoes. Modern shoes have broken the distinction between non-rubber shoes, rubber shoes and natural boundaries. On the upper, sole, often a variety of materials composite leather, fabric, non-woven, rubber, plastics, rubber blends, thermoplastic elastomers, used in combination; in product design, imitate each other; four shoe differences between shrinking, from the appearance has been difficult to identify. Shoes and other footwear is gradually fused into a single footwear products industry.
World Footwear has been tied with clothing for the bulk of international trade in goods, the annual output has reached more than 100 million pairs, of which foreign trade volume more than 4 billion pairs, global sales at $ 50 billion. Currently, the footwear production mainly concentrated in East Asia, and has been South Korea, China Taiwan, China, Hong Kong to mainland China, Thailand and Indonesia and other developing countries. 1998, China's footwear production reached 6 billion pairs, exporting more than 150 countries and regions, accounting for more than half of the world footwear market, foreign exchange earnings of about $ 9 billion, becoming the world's largest footwear production and marketing power. In the six billion pairs of shoes, the rubber shoes are able to distinguish, but 1.2 billion pairs, Qingdao Double Star Group has entered the world's largest shoes manufacturer.
4, the amount of the proportion of non-rubber rubber rubber products for industrial and non-expanding. In recent years, the proportion of non-rubber products, rubber usage outside of the rubber industry now accounts for 20% of total world rubber consumption, especially synthetic rubber as much as 28% or more, and there continues to rise.
Plastics industry has become the largest industry rubber industry with plastic outside, as the elastic material used to promote the annual rubber, about 800,000 tons. Wherein more than 60% is used in the form of latex. In building construction, as reinforced rubber asphalt paving materials, concrete structures and other waterproof elastic adhesive used for the purpose, the global reach of about 300,000 tons, of which 20% is latex. In addition, paper processing and fiber treated with rubber, latex higher consumption of the top global ranking, has reached 1.2 million tons and 180,000 tons or more. Using rubber elasticity modified plastics, plastic weaknesses can be greatly improved, thus expanding the scope of application and use, has become an important modification of materials for the plastics industry. Similarly, rubber modified asphalt paving construction work has also become a good material. Latex mixed with a high strength of the paper, the wrapping paper is the anti-breaking, color printing paper and fine paper indispensable. Fibers are treated with a latex, an adhesive material having greater than other advantages, the material has become difficult to leave the fiber industry. In addition, the rubber industry, high pressure or electrical wire and cable insulation material is important, but also the most sticky adhesive material. Their rubber consumption have reached about 200,000 tons respectively. In recent years, more and thus become a rubber adhesive material, electronic information, rocket propellant and other high-tech fields.
Rubber is no longer a single dedicated raw rubber industry. Field of non-rubber rubber industry is rapidly growing and expanding, and the formation of a large number of non-rubber products, industrial rubber outside.
5, a new generation of rubber is constantly pushing the technology revolution of the rubber industry. Rubber products from a single raw material used to achieve the diversification of the traditional rubber. Is known as the second generation and third generation rubber, liquid rubber, thermoplastic elastomer budding in the rubber industry, providing a new direction for the technology revolution in the rubber industry. On the other hand, is seen as a cross-linkable plastic rubber elastic body, such as a modified polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyethylene vinyl acetate, chlorinated polyethylene rubber, a class of materials has become an important article alternative raw materials. In the liquid rubber in order to develop polyurethane is particularly prominent. Liquid polyurethane processing of rubber products of complex molding step can be omitted, and forming and vulcanizing directly coupled together, greatly simplifying the processing of rubber; particularly in sponges, etc., since the polyurethane foam rubber material is easy to overcome the shortcomings of aging, now largely replaced by rubber, polyurethane become world domination. Currently, the world production of polyurethane over 8 million tons, about nearly half of the rubber consumption, which has been used as the rubber industry accounted for about one eighth. Thermoplastic elastomer is a rubber properties, and use of new materials such as plastics processing technology. In recent years, it is 6% to 7% per annum above the rubber consumption is about twice the rate of growth, has accounted for the entire rubber consumption of 7% to 8%. Thermoplastic elastomers based mainly in industrial products, widely used in hoses, rubber shoes, rubber, adhesives and various profiles aspects. It is characterized by use of the existing plastic processing equipment, while at the same with plastics, rubber casual blend. The emergence and development of thermoplastic elastomer, the rubber industry in order to "cure" the beginning of the gradual disappearance of its characteristic features, and with the gradual integration of plastics processing.
6, rubber high-tech products for the rubber industry has opened up a new economic growth point. In recent years, high-tech rubber materials and products needed to adapt to the emergence of high-tech industries, and promoting the development of the rubber industry a new economic growth point.
Rubber high-tech materials with new properties, not found in the market has not dozens. Although their use glue is still small, but high added value, growing fast in the industrial products which have begun to occupy a certain position in the future are likely to form a new industry. Currently, the fastest growing are: electronic information, sealed damping, office automation and other aspects of home appliances with high-tech rubber material. The vast majority of these materials chemically modified rubber, rubber and plastic blends composite products using a variety of ways, most have become difficult to distinguish rubber polymer functional materials.
With the rapid development of high technology, many of the traditional rubber products have begun to achieve high performance and functional. Throughout all aspects of their tires, and other industrial products to shoes, are: green tires, smart tires, timing belt, energy band, explosion-proof hose and a variety of functional shoes, there are a variety of sealing, damping, mass printing, rubber induction parts and so on. These rubber products using high technology to transform the traditional rubber products based on the future development of the rubber industry has opened up new avenues.

Several major problems (three) in the 21st century world rubber industry faces

An environmental problem. Dust pollution has been the biggest problem the rubber industry. Especially carbon transport, mixing the ingredients and pollution caused by the operator of workers and the surrounding environment suffer.
Carbon black is present only the best fit rubber reinforcing agent, no carbon black reinforcement, using the value of the rubber will be greatly reduced, or even no rubber products manufacturing. It can be said there is no black, there is no rubber industry. But on the other hand, carbon black for rubber production caused by pollution, is the biggest threat to the rubber industry. To solve this problem, many rubber plant using closed transport and mixing of the ingredients, the implementation of the seal production, to prevent overflow carbon pollution. Although this makes dust problems eased, but investment in equipment and power consumption greatly increased. Meanwhile, a huge mixing equipment system so that the production complex, large mixer highest power has reached 3000KW, so that the already troubled by noise rubber factory, there was the problem of noise pollution.
In addition, rubber mixing and curing process, the working temperature up to 140-180 ℃. Plastic materials at high temperatures and smoke escaping the fog often makes the operator breathing difficulties, while the adsorption of a large number of harmful substances. Although many countries have banned the use of toxic antioxidant, vulcanization accelerators and plastic solution agent with the agent, and the gas produced by mixing the curing process monitoring. But the complexity of carcinogenic factors, since it is difficult to make a scientific conclusion. In recent years, with the increasing temperature of the curing process, some even up to 200 ℃, the flue gas harmful to the environment further increase. In addition, shoes, tape, glue and other production processes to be used in a wide variety of organic solvents, most of them are very toxic. These large number of volatile solvents, often makes chronic poisoning. They not only worsen the production environment, and easily lead to factory fire.
There used scrap rubber products due to the difficult recovery after use, and can not break down naturally, have been piling up in many countries. These waste rubber materials, but also formed a large social nuisance.
As can be seen from the above, protective rubber production environment, the use of pollution-free non-toxic materials, production of environmentally friendly rubber products, has become a major issue facing the world rubber industry.
2, the resource problem. Natural rubber has long been regarded as one of the most important international strategic materials. Defense and military relations with the military because of the extremely close, so the rubber industry is considered paramilitary industry. But the development of the world rubber industry is constrained by a number of factors.
First, the natural rubber cultivation by large geographical conditions, its sales subject to the developed countries, the price of ups and downs. Most of the world's natural rubber production is concentrated in tropical Southeast Asia, humidity, no wind regions. Extremely limited planting area. Besides the international rubber market dominated by developed countries, international market prices often fluctuate significantly. Ton price of $ 1,000 or so rubber, the maximum rose to $ 2,000, the minimum fell to $ 600, this situation often brings to rubber production factors are difficult to predict.
Second, natural rubber for agroforestry products, from planting to processing constraints capture more long-period (input-output up to 5-7 years), low yield (yield up to hundreds of kilograms). At the same time every year by natural disasters. Extraction of natural rubber processing technology is relatively complex, affected species, age, region, season tapping methods and processing techniques, a large rubber quality changes resulting performance is very uneven.
Third, the synthetic rubber industry affected by the oil crisis, the outlook is not optimistic. Rubber industrial raw materials accounted for the bulk of the synthetic rubber derived from petroleum, petrochemical downstream industry, rubber industry, about 70% of raw materials derived from petroleum resources. Therefore, it is up to the extent of the rubber industry in the oil situation constrained by. But oil resources are non-renewable resources to existing proven reserves, and then only up to 88 years, the world shortage of oil resources will seriously affect the development of the rubber industry.
3, disasters. Rubber industry is bound mechanical and chemical industries coexist, both the risk of mechanical damage to the environment, but also chemical high temperature, high pressure, flammable, toxic production features. Personnel machines injury disability, have occurred when poisoning pathogenic and factory equipment explosion, fire and other phenomena, pose a serious threat to workers' health and loss of property and businesses.
4, innovation problems. Since the formation of the rubber industry, although some development in mechanization and automation, but the basic production process, the main process equipment for many years does not appear fundamental reform. Raw rubber granulation, powder rubber, continuous mixers and other developed over half a century ago, ultimately inseparable from the massive mixed rubber and intermittent open mill, mixer.
Viscoelastic rubber industry long-standing constraints, it is difficult to achieve mechanization and automation, which is not conducive to the development of modern rubber industry. Even in the rubber industry in developed countries, and now the per capita amount of rubber processing, but also about 10 tons, lower labor productivity than other industrial sectors, the process is no big change for decades. Innovation has become a major event in the relationship between life and death in the rubber industry.