Isoprene shortage changes the way adhesives are formulated
Isoprene is used as a major raw material in SIS, or styrene isoprene styrene. It is one of the most commonly used rubber polymers in the production of pressure-sensitive adhesives. Leading suppliers say that isoprene is in short supply primarily because it is very expensive to produce so over the last decade global isoprene capacity has not increased.
There is a shortage "because the price has been low for a number of years, " says Yuri Sebreqts, global business manager C4/C5, Shell Chemicals, "and nobody had an incentive to invest.