World Analysis - Styrene

Long-term outlook to 2060

Styrene is a clear, colorless liquid with a sweet, aromatic odor that can be detected by the human nose at very low concentrations. While it is relatively easy to store and transport, proper precautions are essential to prevent unwanted polymerization. Styrene should not be exposed to elevated temperatures, and it is commonly stabilized with the inhibitor tertiary butyl catechol (TBC) to maintain storage safety. Although mainly produced industrially, styrene also occurs naturally in the environment and is present in trace amounts in various foods and beverages, including coffee, strawberries, and cinnamon.

Commercial styrene production is almost entirely rooted in petrochemical processes based on benzene and ethylene. The conventional route, used for roughly 80% of global styrene production, involves alkylating benzene with ethylene to form ethylbenzene (EB), which is subsequently dehydrogenated to produce styrene. The remaining 20% of global production comes from the propylene oxide–styrene monomer (PO/SM) process. This alternate route also begins with ethylbenzene but converts it into a hydroperoxide intermediate, which then reacts with propylene to yield both propylene oxide (PO) and styrene monomer (SM). The PO/SM process provides an integrated coproduct advantage, making it an important secondary technology platform within the global styrene industry.

Long-term outlook to 2060

The World Analysis—Styrene provides an in-depth assessment of the global styrene market, providing comprehensive analysis and strategic insights into the key developments shaping long-term supply, demand, trade, and pricing outlooks. This service equips industry participants with the analytical foundation needed to navigate market volatility and anticipate structural shifts across the styrene value chain.

Subscribers gain access to a full suite of reports, data files, analytical tools, and visualization modules, available online and downloadable from our website, including:

• A strategic report outlining critical insights and the future trajectory of global and regional markets

• Online Data Browser access to supply, demand, and capacity databases

• Continuously updated company/shareholder capacity listings, capacity integration analysis, and rankings of top producers/consumers, including surplus/deficit capacity profiles

• A comprehensive Data Appendix (Excel) featuring supply/demand and capacity tables, plus a dashboard with standard visualizations for all countries and regions

• Excel data files with long-range supply/demand graphics and price forecasts through 2060, along with detailed trade grids showing country- and region-level trade flows with 5- and 10-year projections

• An interactive online dashboard visualizing capacity, integration, supply/demand balances, trade flows, and price, cost, and margin forecasts

• Explanatory Notes detailing data sources, methodology, assumptions, units, conversion factors, and full World Analysis deliverables

• Energy and macroeconomic assumptions used in the long-term outlook

• Price assessment methodology and forecasting framework

In addition to the main product(s), styrene capacity and textual analysis are provided for the following products:

• ABS Resins, Ethylbenzene, Expandable Polystyrene (EPS), K-Resins, MBS, Other Styrene Derivatives, Polystyrene, SAN Resins, Styrene Butadiene Latex, Styrene Butadiene Rubber (emulsion & solution), Thermoplastic Elastomers, Unsaturated Polyester Resins

This World Analysis provides detailed intelligence on capacities, production, demand, and trade across all major producing and consuming countries, regions, and global hubs. While robust data collection underpins the historical and forward views, the true value of the service lies in the expert interpretation and market analysis applied by our global team.

Data verification is a central pillar of our approach. Direct engagement with key industry participants ensures that our conclusions reflect real-world market behavior and deliver the most accurate, realistic forward outlook for the styrene industry.

Long-term outlook to 2060