Benzene Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report Derivative By End-use, By Production Process (Catalytic Reforming), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The global benzene market size was estimated at USD 44.07 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1% from 2022 to 2030. The increasing demand for styrene in various end-use industries such as packaging, automotive, electronics, and others is acting as a major driving force for the continuously increasing demand for benzene. Styrene, produced from benzene’s derivative ethylbenzene, is used in a wide range of industries. The majority of the product goes into the production of polystyrene, which due to its flexibility, resilience, moisture resistance, and lightweight is used in the packaging industry.

The automotive industry is increasing continuously with the introduction of a new range of electric vehicles has also resulted in an increase in demand for benzene as styrene is used in the production of tires and several body parts of both diesel or gasoline-powered vehicles and electric vehicles.

According to Niti Aayog, India is among the fastest-growing country in the automotive sector witnessing a compounded annual growth rate of 4% from 2011 to 2020. Additionally, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China in 2020, tire production in the country reached to 807.47 million. Thus, this increasing demand for automobiles in different countries is resulting in an increase in demand for benzene.

The U.S. is the largest consumer of benzene in North America. The market for the product is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period owing to the increasing demand from expanding petrochemical sector. Benzene is used as a feedstock in the petrochemical industry for the production of different chemicals such as resin, plastic, synthetic fibers, and nylon by using different methods such as steam cracking or catalytic reforming of crude oil.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2018, the U.S. is home to around 40% of petrochemical production. Thus, the increasing petrochemical industry in the U.S. and North America as a whole as well as the availability of crude oil is acting as a driving factor for increasing the demand for benzene in the region.

Ethyl Benzene among all the derivatives of benzene dominated the market with a revenue share of 53.69 % in 2022. This is attributed to its application in several growing end-use industries such as automobile, plastic, rubber, electronics, and others with the automobile sector witnessing major growth with a revenue share of 43.53 % in 2022.

Ethylbenzene is used for the production of a majority of styrene that finds its usage in the manufacturing of rubber tires, plastic packaging, several automobile parts (instrumental panels, knobs, trim, energy absorbing door panels, and sound dampening foam), and electronic equipment. Thus, all these factors contribute to the increasing demand for ethylbenzene.

Cumene is another fastest-growing derivative which accounted for the second-largest revenue share followed by ethylbenzene. This is attributed to its major application in end-use industries such as pharmaceutical, packaging, automobile, paints & coatings, and others with pharmaceuticals capturing the major share. Phenol and acetone produced from Cumene are used in pharmaceutical products as a solvent in fillers, to sterilize medical equipment, and as a disinfectant in antiseptics.

Production Process Insights

The catalytic reforming segment dominated the market with a revenue share of around 49.32%. This is attributed to an increase in the usage of low octane straight run naphtha containing the naphthenes for the production of low-sulfur fuel used in gasoline and high-octane aromatic benzene. Additionally, catalytic reforming provides hydrogen which is further used for producing clean fuels by hydroprocessing units.

Steam cracking is another production process capturing the second largest market share followed by catalytic reforming. This method is used as it uses naphtha or gas oil fraction as a feedstock along with some hydrocarbons such as propane and butane. It cuts out the expensive process of distillation needed and produces a wider range of products. However, it is not suitable for bulk production.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific dominated the market with a revenue share of 45.2% in 2022. This is attributed to the expanding end-use industries such as the chemical industry, packaging, automobile, pharmaceutical, and others in the region. According to International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in 2021, the chemical industry in the Asia Pacific accounted for around 45% of global chemical manufacturing and 7% of global GDP.

The major consumers and producers of benzene in the Asia Pacific are China, India, South Korea, and Japan. China is among the major consumer of benzene with imports amounting to USD 2,785,449 thousand whereas, South Korea accounted for major export amounting to USD 2,254,945 thousand in 2021. The increase in demand and import in China is due to the increasing usage of benzene in construction and automobile products such as paints, flooring, fiberglass, adhesives, tires, and others. According to the National Bureau of Statistics in China in 2021, the construction output of China accounted for around USD 4,091 Billion. Thus, the increasing end-use industries in the country are further driving the demand for the product.

North America is also expected to witness growth during the forecast period due to the increasing packaging, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries which are the major end users of the product. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, benzene is widely used and ranked among the top 20 chemicals for production volume in the country.

Europe is also anticipated to witness growth but at a relatively slower rate compared to North America and Asia Pacific due to tightening government regulations for use of benzene or its derivatives in consumer goods. For instance, the regulations imposed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and other organizations prohibiting the marketing and use of benzene in case it is present in mixtures or other substances at or above a concentration of 0.1% by weight are acting as a restraining factor in the growth of benzene in the region.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is highly competitive with the presence of some major industry players dominating the market. The market is characterized by the adoption of various strategic initiatives such as increasing production capacity, and technology partnerships to gain a competitive edge. For instance, companies such as Hengyi Petrochemical, in 2021, announced to set up a naphtha cracker that will add 80,000 TPA benzene capacity along with other products. This expansion will result in strengthening the position of the company. Some of the prominent players in the benzene market include:

• Dow

• INEOS Group

• LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V.

• BASF SE

• Royal Dutch Shell Plc

• Reliance Industries Limited

• Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC

• China Petrochemical Corporation

• Marathon Petroleum Corporation

• LG Chem

Benzene Market Report Scope

Global Benzene Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global benzene market report based on derivative by end-use, production process, and region:

• Derivative by End-Use (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Ethyl Benzene

    • Packaging

    • Automobile

    • Others (ink & paints, agriculture, pharmaceutical)

  • Alkyl Benzene

    • Personal care (Surfactants)

    • Others (paint industry, ink solvent, agriculture herbicide)

  • Cumene

    • Pharmaceutical

    • Cosmetics

    • Automobile

    • Packaging

    • Paints & Coatings

    • Others (electronics, agriculture, cleaners, solvents)

  • Cyclohexane

    • Textile

    • Automobile

    • Thermoplastic

    • Others (solvent, paint & coatings)

  • Nitro Benzene

    • Agriculture

    • Pharmaceuticals

    • Others (rubber, paint, dyes, leather)

  • Others (Maleic Anhydride, Methylbenzoate)

    • Food additive

    • Surfactant

    • Personal care

    • Others (agriculture, paints & coatings, pharmaceutical)

• Production Process (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • Catalytic reforming

  • Steam cracking

  • Others (Toluene hydrodealkylation, Toluene disproportionation)

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Billion, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

    • Netherland

    • Belgium

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Thailand

    • South Korea

    • Malaysia

  • Central and South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia