How should a buyer choose between NBR bales, powder, and latex?

Latex is typically chosen for glove dipping and some binders, while bales and powder fit hoses, seals, and molded parts. Start from your process, then confirm impurity limits, viscosity, and shipment packaging.

What are the most common causes of NBR seal failures in service?

Heat, aggressive fuels, and wrong acrylonitrile content selection are frequent drivers. Validate fluid exposure, temperature range, compression set targets, and compound aging tests before final approval.

How do VOC limits affect NBR based adhesive and sealant systems?

Low VOC rules can limit solvent rich adhesive application in some locations and push formulators toward lower solvent or water based systems. Always align the adhesive VOC content limit with the local rule and the application method.

What does ISCC PLUS mass balance mean for bio attributed nitrile latex purchasing?

It typically means certified feedstock is allocated through accounting rather than fully segregated physical molecules. Contracts should define the certified content claim, chain of custody, and audit rights.

What should glove makers verify when qualifying nitrile latex for cleanroom use?

Focus on extractables, consistent film strength, and batch to batch stability under your dip line conditions. Also confirm documentation for traceability, allergen positioning, and waste handling expectations.

How can buyers reduce disruption risk during butadiene tightness?

Dual source by region, not only by company, and qualify at least one alternate grade that can be blended with minimal recipe changes. Add clear allocation and notice periods into supply agreements for both polymer and latex.

Top Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Companies

ARLANXEO

Capacity decisions in China now matter more than brand history for many regional buyers of sealing compounds. ARLANXEO, a top manufacturer, offers established Perbunan, Krynac, and Baymod N product families and is clearly positioned in oil and fuel resistant grades. In May 2025, ARLANXEO and TSRC opened a relocated and expanded joint venture plant in Nantong with designed capacity increased to 40,000 tons per year, improving local supply optionality. If low temperature hose demand grows with LNG buildouts, the expanded China footprint could shorten lead times, yet tighter butadiene availability can still squeeze margins and service levels.

Leaders

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation

Scale advantage can still win tenders even when unit economics are under pressure. Sinopec reported a 16.8% decline in 2024 net profit, showing the volatility that can spill into chemicals planning and run rate choices. As a key participant with very large synthetic rubber capacity, Sinopec can keep plants running through downcycles to support high volume NBR availability for hoses, belts, and sealing uses. If hydrogen and LNG projects accelerate, buyers may prioritize multi year supply contracts with large integrated producers. The main risk is that sustained chemicals losses can constrain discretionary upgrades that improve grade consistency.

Leaders

KUMHO PETROCHEMICAL

Capacity transparency has become a differentiator for glove latex buyers who plan volumes far in advance. Kumho Petrochemical, a major supplier in Asia, disclosed NBR capacity of 92,000 MT per year and nitrile latex capacity of 946,000 MT per year in its 2025 first quarter materials. This scale supports broad participation across glove, hose, and gasket use, while also helping customers manage dual sourcing. If cleanroom glove demand rises, the latex footprint can absorb fast ramps, but tariffs and feedstock volatility can still disrupt pricing discipline. The operational risk is that maintenance cycles and butadiene availability can tighten spot allocations.

Leaders

LG Chem

Glove supply planning often starts with latex capacity, not with polymer branding. LG Chem, a top player in Asia, has highlighted nitrile butadiene latex output capacity of 280,000 tons per year in Yeosu and 210,000 tons per year in China, supporting high volume glove value chains. Its published NBR positioning also covers oil resistant applications such as automotive parts and hoses. If semiconductor cleanroom expansion sustains higher grade glove demand, LG Chem can benefit from scale and proximity, yet petrochemical cycle weakness can pressure reinvestment timing. The operational risk is feedstock tightness that forces allocation decisions during demand spikes.

Leaders

PetroChina Company Limited

Strong upstream cash generation can underwrite chemicals upgrades when the rest of the chain weakens. PetroChina reported record 2024 net profit of 164.7 billion yuan, despite lower revenue, which signals financial headroom for asset projects. PetroChina, a leading player in synthetic rubber capacity growth, also shows rising chemicals and new materials output, supporting large scale supply relationships. If aviation maintenance grows in the Middle East, fuel system seals and hoses can pull more nitrile demand, favoring large integrated sellers. The key risk is policy driven refinery rationalization that can change local feedstock balances and disrupt run rates.

Leaders

SIBUR Holding PJSC

Trade barriers and sanctions have reshaped where molecules flow, and that has made reliability more valuable than headline pricing. SIBUR is a major producer in synthetic rubber capacity rankings for 2025, indicating sustained asset scale despite constraints. Import substitution programs in Russia can keep plants busy, but they can also reduce flexibility for export customers that need fast reallocations of volume. If EU restrictions shift more buyers to non EU sources, SIBUR could see incremental inquiries in neutral corridors, though payment and logistics remain complex. The main operational risk is constrained access to certain catalysts, spares, and services.

Established

TSRC

Large multi site operating systems can help customers who qualify the same grade across several countries. TSRC describes an annual output reaching 805,000 tons across synthetic rubbers including NBR and notes global production bases and certifications. In May 2025, TSRC and ARLANXEO inaugurated a relocated and expanded joint venture NBR plant in Nantong with designed capacity increased to 40,000 tons per year, strengthening China supply continuity. If demand grows for low temperature hose compounds tied to LNG infrastructure, the China asset can reduce delivery risk. The key operational risk is that portfolio wide optimisation can deprioritise small niche NBR grades.

Established

ZEON CORPORATION

Specification depth matters when buyers tune acrylonitrile content for temperature and fluid compatibility. ZEON publishes a broad NBR lineup across nitrile ranges and product formats, supporting seals, hoses, and specialty compounding needs. The company also expanded focus on higher performance nitrile derivatives, including capacity moves in hydrogenated nitrile rubber that can pull some demand away from standard NBR. If hydrogen fuel cell and EV sealing grows, ZEON can benefit from technical credibility, but substitution away from standard NBR can compress volumes for conventional grades. The operational risk is balancing US and Japan production while meeting tight quality windows.

Established

Dynasol Group

Product breadth is useful when customers switch between seals, gloves, and adhesive formulations within one qualification cycle. Dynasol describes a portfolio that includes NBR alongside other synthetic rubbers, which supports cross selling into compounders with mixed recipes. Environmental rules on solvent systems can favor cleaner processing grades and more stable latex supply specifications. If Asia based automotive rebuild activity strengthens, Dynasol could gain from distributors seeking a second source with acceptable grade coverage. The operational risk is that portfolio breadth can dilute investment focus, so some NBR grades may lag peers on new sustainability documentation or regional stocking.

Performers

ENEOS Corporation

Portfolio handoffs can create short term buyer uncertainty even when plants keep running normally. ENEOS indicates that its high performance materials and related R&D were transferred to ENEOS Materials Corporation starting April 2024, including NBR within the elastomers set. ENEOS Materials lists nitrile rubber grades and positioning for automotive parts and industrial goods, which helps buyers qualify oil resistant compounds with consistent grade logic. If VOC limits tighten further for rubber bonding applications, more buyers may choose blends and latex based systems with lower solvent dependency. The main risk is slower decision making across a reorganized structure, which can delay response to urgent qualification requests.

Performers

NANTEX Industry Co., Ltd.

Public financial disclosure cadence can be a quiet signal of operational discipline for a focused elastomer producer. Nantex positions itself around NBR and NBR SBR latex manufacturing and sales, which aligns well with glove and sealing customer needs. The company also posts quarterly and annual financial statements with 2024 and 2025 announcement dates, which supports buyer due diligence. If EU style carbon accounting becomes a standard contract clause in Asia, Nantex may need deeper upstream traceability to stay preferred. The main risk is concentration, since a disruption at one latex line can ripple quickly through downstream glove makers.

Performers

Synthomer plc

Sustainability claims now need credible chain of custody, not only marketing language. Synthomer, a leading service provider to glove value chains, announced an ISCC PLUS certified value chain for bio based nitrile latexes made at Pasir Gudang, using a mass balance approach linked to at least 20% bio feedstock. This directly supports buyers facing carbon reporting requirements and retailer scrutiny. If glove demand swings again, the ability to offer certified grades can protect pricing even during volume volatility. The critical risk is that glove cycles remain choppy, so capacity discipline and customer diversification are needed to avoid margin shocks.

Performers

Apcotex

Certification driven selling has become a practical growth lever since 2024, especially for buyers with audited supply chains. Apcotex, a leading producer in India, positions Apcoflex grades around oil resistance and abrasion needs, while also signaling standards alignment through recent licensing activity for latex specifications. EU carbon and product compliance pressure can favor suppliers that document feedstock traceability and safer handling. If glove and cleanroom demand rises again, a faster latex ramp would help, but imported butadiene exposure remains a real operating risk for reliability and pricing.

Aspirants

Atlantic Rubber Company Inc

Buyer outcomes often depend on material availability and packaging readiness, not only polymer chemistry. Atlantic Rubber is a US based distributor that highlights in-house inventory, ISO 9001 certification, and Buna-N offerings for common fluid handling applications. VOC limits on rubber related adhesive use can shift some customers toward lower solvent systems and simpler assembly processes, reducing spot purchases of certain elastomers. A realistic upside scenario is increased maintenance work in medical and lab facilities that needs fast shipment of standard compounds. The core risk is limited upstream control, so supply continuity depends on partner producers and freight timing.

Aspirants

JSR Corporation

Portfolio focus has been shifting, yet legacy elastomer know how remains valuable in demanding sealing recipes. JSR continues to publish integrated reporting and maintains global site coverage, which supports continuity for customers that need audited supply. Public product references show JSR NBR grades positioned for O ring, oil seal, and rubber roll use, which indicates ongoing technical relevance for specialty compounds. If EV related sealing moves toward higher temperature materials, NBR can face substitution pressure, so JSR's what if is an accelerated pivot toward higher performance blends. The key risk is that elastomers can receive less capital priority than electronics related materials.

Aspirants

LANXESS

Financial resilience can support reliability even when direct polymer exposure is limited. LANXESS reported improved EBITDA pre exceptionals for fiscal year 2024 and confirmed guidance for 2025, which suggests stronger capacity utilization and cost control across its portfolio. For NBR buyers, the practical linkage is through chemicals and intermediates that influence compounding, additive choice, and compliance documentation. If VOC and carbon rules push customers toward reformulated adhesive systems, specialty chemical inputs can become more important. The main risk is that NBR focused customers may prefer partners with direct polymer assets for faster technical iteration.

Aspirants

Synthos

Grade availability matters, yet qualification speed often depends on how clearly a supplier documents processing windows and stabilisers. Synthos offers NBR grades under the KER brand through its product catalog, aimed at technical articles needing oil and fuel resistance. It also signals ISCC Plus availability across parts of its rubber portfolio, which can help customers preparing for carbon reporting requirements. If belt and cable demand rises with two wheeler manufacturing growth, Synthos could benefit through European compounding channels. The biggest operational risk is that newer compliance and traceability asks can require investments beyond standard product documentation.

Aspirants

Trinseo

Price actions can indicate where cost pressure is most acute in latex supply chains. Trinseo announced a price increase for latex binders in Asia Pacific effective August 1, 2024, tied to higher raw material and transport costs. That footprint matters most for adhesive, binder, and polymer emulsion buyers rather than for base NBR polymer buyers. If VOC limits accelerate a shift to water based systems, emulsion expertise can become more valuable in certain adhesive use cases. The main risk is that buyers of high purity or specialty nitrile systems may view Trinseo as less central unless it expands nitrile focused offerings.

Aspirants

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Companies: Leaders, Top & Emerging Players and Strategic Moves

Top 5 Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Companies

Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Companies Matrix by Mordor Intelligence

MI Competitive Matrix for Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR)

Analysis of Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Companies and Quadrants in the MI Competitive Matrix

ARLANXEO

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation

KUMHO PETROCHEMICAL

LG Chem

PetroChina Company Limited

SIBUR Holding PJSC

TSRC

ZEON CORPORATION

Dynasol Group

ENEOS Corporation

NANTEX Industry Co., Ltd.

Synthomer plc

Apcotex

Atlantic Rubber Company Inc

JSR Corporation

LANXESS

Synthos

Trinseo

Frequently Asked Questions

Methodology

Analysis of Leading Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Companies