If you’ve spent any time in the industrial chemicals space over the last decade, you’ve probably heard a lot of back-and-forth about specialty additives, especially when it comes to rubber and polymer manufacturing. As a supplier of thiurams, I get asked this question all the time—at trade shows, in supply chain meetings, even over a casual coffee with a long-time industry peer: “What’s the real market demand for thiurams?” It’s not a simple yes or no, but after 12 years in this business, working with factories across 18 countries and adjusting to everything from raw material shortages to shifting regulatory rules, I can tell you the demand is far more stable and growing than many people assume. Let’s break this down, not with stuffy industry jargon, but with the real, on-the-ground context I see every day. Thiurams
First, let’s start with what thiurams actually are, because that’s the foundation of why they matter. Thiurams are a family of sulfur-based organic compounds—think tetramethylthiuram disulfide (TMTD), tetramethylthiuram monosulfide (TMTM), and tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD)—and they’re most widely used as vulcanization accelerators in rubber production. Vulcanization is the process that turns soft, raw rubber into the durable, elastic material we rely on for everything from car tires to garden hoses to industrial conveyor belts. Without accelerators, vulcanization would take way too long, require extreme heat, and produce rubber that’s weak and prone to breaking. Thiurams are especially valuable because they work efficiently at lower temperatures than many other accelerators, which saves factories energy and time. They also act as biocides in some niche sectors—like wood preservation or cooling water systems—but the bulk of demand comes straight from rubber manufacturing.
Now, let’s talk about the sectors driving that demand, because that’s where the real numbers play out. The single biggest user of thiurams is, hands down, the automotive industry. For years, global car production has been on a steady climb—even with blips from the 2020 pandemic and recent supply chain snags, the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) reported that global light vehicle production hit 85 million units in 2023, up 4% from 2022. Every single one of those vehicles needs rubber components: tires, brake hoses, engine mounts, weatherstripping, sealants, even parts of the interior. A typical passenger car uses around 25 kilograms of rubber, and a heavy-duty truck uses 100 kilograms or more. And thiurams are a key part of that rubber. Tires, in particular, rely heavily on TMTD and TMTM—they help balance the tire’s hardness, durability, and resistance to wear, which is why tire manufacturers won’t swap them out for cheaper alternatives. I’ve worked with three major tire producers in Asia, and they all told me that switching to a non-thiuram accelerator would require retooling entire production lines, testing new materials, and risking product recalls—costs they can’t justify right now. That’s the kind of sticky, long-term demand that doesn’t disappear overnight.
Next up is the industrial rubber goods sector, which is often overlooked but just as important. Think about conveyor belts for mining operations, which have to haul tons of rock and ore hundreds of kilometers a year, or the rubber hoses that carry oil and gas through pipelines, or the seals used in construction to keep buildings watertight. The global mining industry, for example, is booming as countries ramp up production of lithium, copper, and cobalt for electric vehicle batteries—mining output rose 5.2% in 2023, according to the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), and every new mine needs thousands of meters of conveyor belts. Those conveyor belts are made from rubber, and again, thiurams are a core part of their manufacturing. I had a client in Chile last year that runs 17 copper mines across the Atacama Desert, and they told me they go through 120 metric tons of thiurams annually for their conveyor belt production. That’s not an anomaly—industrial rubber demand is growing at a 3.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2028, per a 2024 report from Grand View Research, and thiurams are right in the middle of that growth.
Wait, but what about electric vehicles (EVs)? There’s been a lot of talk that EVs use less rubber than gas-powered cars, right? Actually, the opposite is true. EVs are heavier—batteries add 200 to 500 kilograms to a vehicle’s weight—and that means their rubber components have to be more durable. EV tires, for example, need to handle extra weight and instant torque from electric motors, so they use more high-performance rubber blends that rely on thiurams. EVs also have more seals, gaskets, and insulation parts than gas-powered cars, to reduce noise from the battery and motor. A 2023 study from the Rubber Manufacturer’s Association (RMA) found that a single EV uses 30% more rubber than a traditional internal combustion engine car—and that’s translating directly to higher demand for thiurams. My team has already started working with three EV start-ups in Europe that are ramping up production, and their thiuram orders are 25% higher per vehicle than what traditional carmakers ordered five years ago. That’s a big, untapped growth stream that a lot of analysts miss.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: regulatory scrutiny. Thiurams have faced some pushback in recent years, mostly around their potential environmental impact if not disposed of properly. The European Union’s REACH regulation added several thiuram compounds to its candidate list in 2021, and the U.S. EPA has updated rules on industrial chemical emissions for manufacturers in 2023. That’s made some people nervous that demand could drop, but from where I sit, it’s the opposite—regulation is actually stabilizing demand, not reducing it. Why? Because regulators are forcing factories to use higher-quality, more consistent thiurams from reputable suppliers, instead of cutting corners with cheap, untested alternatives that are hard on the environment. Small, informal chemical producers in parts of Southeast Asia that were selling low-grade thiurams to unregulated factories have been pushed out of the market, so larger, responsible suppliers like us are picking up that slack. Also, thiuram manufacturers have adapted: we’ve developed new formulations that reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by 40% without sacrificing performance, and we’ve implemented closed-loop production systems that cut waste by 65%. Regulators aren’t banning thiurams—they’re making the market more transparent, and that’s good for legitimate suppliers. A 2024 report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC) found that thiuram demand in North America actually rose 2.7% last year, even with the new EPA rules, because factories are willing to pay a small premium for compliant, reliable products.
Another thing to consider is the global shift toward industrial sustainability, which is pushing manufacturers to use longer-lasting materials—and thiurams help with that. For example, tire manufacturers are now developing “low rolling resistance” tires to improve fuel efficiency for cars and reduce carbon emissions. Thiurams play a key role in that, because they help create a rubber blend that’s both durable and flexible enough to reduce rolling resistance. I talked to a tire industry consultant at a trade show in Germany earlier this year, and he told me that 70% of the new eco-friendly tire blends released in 2023 used thiuram accelerators. That’s not a trend—it’s a core part of making tires that meet global carbon reduction targets. And for rubber goods like conveyor belts, which have a 10 to 15 year lifespan, thiurams help extend that life, which means factories don’t have to replace them as often. That’s a win for their bottom line and a win for the planet, so it’s only going to get more popular.
Of course, there are short-term headwinds. Raw material prices for the base chemicals used to make thiurams—like carbon disulfide and dimethylamine—fluctuate with global energy prices, which can lead to small, temporary shifts in demand. For example, when natural gas prices spiked in Europe in 2022, some small rubber factories cut back on thiuram orders for a few months. But those factories were able to find cheaper, less efficient alternatives that caused them more problems down the line—like higher scrap rates or shorter product lifespans—and they quickly switched back once energy prices stabilized. That’s the nature of specialty chemicals: reliability beats short-term cost savings every time. I’ve also seen demand shift between regions. Over the last five years, Asia has become the largest thiuram market, accounting for 45% of global demand, as countries like India and Vietnam ramp up their automotive and industrial manufacturing. North America and Europe are growing at a slower, but steady, rate as they invest in EVs and sustainable infrastructure.
As a supplier, I see this demand playing out every day. We’ve increased our production capacity by 30% in the last two years, and we have plans to add another 20% in 2025, because our order backlog for thiurams is 12 weeks out, up from 8 weeks in 2021. Our clients don’t just order a one-time shipment—they sign long-term contracts, because they know they can rely on our consistent quality and regulatory compliance. Last year, we had a major tire manufacturer in Brazil switch from a competitor to us because they were having issues with inconsistent thiuram batches that caused defects in their tires. We worked with them to adjust our formulation to meet their exact specifications, and now they’re our largest client in South America. That’s the kind of relationship that builds sustained demand, and it’s why I’m not worried about the long-term outlook.
So, putting it all together: the market demand for thiurams isn’t a bubble or a fading trend—it’s a stable, growing market, driven by sectors that are only going to get bigger: automotive (especially EVs), industrial manufacturing, and sustainable infrastructure. Regulatory scrutiny isn’t hurting it—it’s weeding out unqualified suppliers and making the market more reliable. Short-term price fluctuations will always happen, but the core need for high-quality, consistent thiuram accelerators isn’t going anywhere.
If you’re a manufacturer looking for a reliable, compliant thiuram supplier, or you want to learn more about how thiurams can improve your rubber production’s efficiency and sustainability, reach out to us for a discussion tailored to your specific needs. We can provide product samples, share our regulatory compliance documentation, and work with you to find the right solution for your operations.
Sulfenamides References
Grand View Research. (2024). Global Rubber Additives Market Report.
International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). (2023). Global Mining Production Outlook.
International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA). (2023). Global Light Vehicle Production Statistics.
American Chemistry Council (ACC). (2024). Specialty Chemicals Market Update: Thiurams.
Rubber Manufacturer’s Association (RMA). (2023). Electric Vehicle Rubber Component Analysis.
Heze Great Bridge Chemical Co., Ltd.
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