Rubber Process Oil is defined as a mixture of different processing products such as paraffinic, naphthenic, and aromatic compounds that can be of any molecular weight. It is used majorly in the rubber industry, followed by some other end-user industries. Rubber oil is produced when the crude oil undergoes the distillation process and is obtained during the composition, the chemical reactions, and the isolation materials that are extracted and is called the Raffinate and in addition is compatible with the polymers of rubber. Rubber process oils are used across a wide variety of industries and are available in different grades and viscosities in order to cater to the different applications.

Current Scenario in Rubber Processing Oil Space

The rising demand for rubber process oil in different applications

There is a rising demand from different industries such as automotive, manufacturing, construction, electronics and electrical among others. In the automotive industry, it used or applications such as the production of tires. It can be made into tires of various sizes for use in a variety of vehicles such as military and defense vehicles, large trucks, carrier vehicles, small trucks, passenger cars, commercial vehicles among others. It is used as a type of flooring material in the construction industry, it is used to make footwear that is durable and is an essential component in the lifestyle of the population, and also, it finds various other uses.

Product offerings in rubber process oils to unlock more possibilities

There are market players that are involved in the provision of enhanced and advanced product offerings in order to cater to the rising demand for rubber processing oils from different industries. Some of the examples are listed below-

• HP Lubricants, one of the leading companies dealing in the provision of lubricant and petroleum products offers their ELASTO SUPREME range of Treated Residual Aromatic Extract (TRAE) rubber processing oils in three product grades, which have different chemical and physical properties. The products are “HP ELASTO 165”, “HP ELASTO 245” and “HP ELASTO 255”. These products are increasingly suitable for use as plasticizers. The first product is suitable for use in EPDM Rubbers, the second product is suitable for use in butyl and ethylene-propylene rubbers and the last product is developed specially and specifically for use in footwear applications such as shoe soles.

• Panama Petrochem Ltd., one of the leading companies that are dealing in the provision of products and solutions for different industries such as petroleum, rubber, and textile. They offer three different grades and types of rubber processing oils. They sell their products under the brand name ‘Panol”, wherein the products are “ PANOL C 160-A”, which is a type of processing oil having an Aromatic Base. The “PANOL C 160-P”, which is a type of oil having a Paraffinic Base and lastly, the PANOL C160-N, which is a product that has a Naphthenic Base. In addition, these oils that are being provided strictly adhere to the European Regulation and are non-carcinogenic and other types of oil such as TDAE, RAE, and Mild Extracted Solvent 9MES) are also being offered on request.

• Total, one of the leading brands catering to the demands of different industries by the provision of different fluids,  offer rubber processing oils under the Special Fluids product portfolio. The two types of products that increasingly used are “PLAXOLENE” and “PLAXENE”. The products are best used as plasticizers and possess the following qualities; they are easily able to facilitate the reduction of the viscosity of the rubber compounds., they increase the solvency and the compatibility of the rubber mix, they are able to effectively enhance the mechanical properties. The products that are offered are “PLAXOLENE 50”, “PLAXOLENE TD 346”, “PLAXOLENE NL 239”, “PLAXOLENE MS 132” and “PLAXENE”. The “PLAXOLENE 50” is a type of a Residual Aromatic Extract (RAE), “PLAXOLENE TD 346”, which is a type of a Treated Distillate Aromatic Extract (TDAE), and works to enhance the properties of the tires such as rolling resistance, and better gripping among others. “PLAXOLENE NL 239”, is a type of a product, which is a non-labeled product (NLP).

Therefore, these efforts being made by the market players will aid in increasing the rubber processing oils market size.

The availability of different types of rubber processing oil and the importance of different grades, density, and viscosity among other properties

Rubber processing oils are available in different types, which have different properties and are able to cater to different applications more effectively. The different types of rubber processing oils are-

Distillate Aromatic Extract (DAE) is a type of aromatic oil that has undergone a large number of aromatic cycles in their composition, and are often characterized due to their low aniline points are and used mainly for the manufacture of polarized rubbers that belong to the styrene-butadiene category or are of natural rubber type.

Treated Distillate Aromatic Extract (TDAE) is a type of oil that does not harm the environment, finds applications in tire production, tape and rubber industries. It is used in generally carrier oils, as a plasticizer as a diluent of as a filling agent.

Residual Aromatic Extract (RAE) is a type of rubber that has a high viscosity and is an aromatic process oil that is derived from the residual oil fractions and is generally used as an extender oil in the automobile industry for the production of rubber tires. In addition, the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon content is less than 1 parts per million (ppm) and the total PAH content is lesser than 10 parts per million (ppm).

The viscosities and the grades among other properties of the rubber process oils are also important as these should lie between specific values at the specific temperatures at which the oil is being used in order to yield the full capabilities of the oil. The properties such as the kinematic viscosity, which defines the capacity of the fluid to resists the internal forces and the gravitational forces, and the flashpoint, which defines the lowest temperature at which the liquid gives of the vapor. That means that the lower the flash point is, the liquid is ignited more easily.

The very term product LiDAR Drones have a two-pronged implication on the market. Taking the word ‘drones’ first, it has undoubtedly permeated all segments of our daily lives which are steering various end-users ranging from agriculture to defense towards its adoption. The other part is the technology that it is incorporated with called is LiDAR that is known for its capability to measures distance to a target with the help of lasers. The aforesaid function of Light Detection and Ranging or LiDAR encompasses sensors that emit laser beams that shoot down to the ground and bounces back. The distance of the laser and back to the sensor is then measured and recorded. The degree of accuracy and detail, for example, the extent of foliage on the ground and its density makes it all the more a uniquely positioned device that has enabled the players of this market to find great prospects archaeology, e-commerce, forestry, geology, geomatics, seismology, among others. Therefore, there is an increasing interest, consequent investments in research and development and other strategic initiates among the players of this market.

For example, LiDAR drones that are being flown over certain areas are enabling the creation of maps, which are being developed to highlight, survey, and monitor grounds where key infrastructural development such as towers and wind turbines could and have been built.  Moreover, the areas that are subjected to natural calamities like flooding, for example, LiDAR drones are being deployed to an enhanced and accurate degree of measurements that can help improve risk assessment outcomes that ultimately aid in an efficient and effective emergency planning process making disaster management efforts hassle-free. Further, the areas that are affected by drought, these scientific marvels are deployed to measure the vegetation density thus aiding in the improvement of drainage systems helping experts to design are more water conservation friendly drainages system whereby the scarce commodity could be judiciously used.  Thus with such extensive use, the semiconductor sector in this space is poised to witness growing investment in the form of R&D and various strategic decisions that are poised to throttle the growth of the Global LiDAR Drone Market trend.

Certain key strategic initiatives in the LiDAR Drones Market

For example, as late as April 2020, Woolperthas been contracted by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to develop a strategic plan and concept of operations for Indiana’s unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) program. Woolpert has decades of transportation engineering and survey experience and works directly with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulatory leaders and provides strategic consulting. Woolpert will be responsible for creating policies, procedures, and standards for INDOT to manage, share and align with designated agencies throughout the state. Further, the firm recently concluded a contract with Indiana to acquire and process high-resolution orthoimagery and lidar data throughout the state as part of IndianaMap, which houses and shares Indiana’s geospatial data and services. This is an extension of UAS contract, complementing the firm’s support of these technologies across the state. Therefore from the aforesaid, it can be discerned that government initiatives, like that of state administration exemplified above, are also major driving factors for Global LiDAR Drone Market growth.

Earlier in JULY, 2019, geospatial hardware and software provider, GeoCue announced True View, a new line of drone sensors. The first variety is True View 410, a mapping camera configuration for commercial drone platforms that enables surveyors to produce 3D colorized point clouds, oblique imagery and orthophotos with a single flight. Moreover, it is the first integrated lidar/camera fusion platform in a payload package, in the industry that weighs less than 2 kg. Further, in January 2020, the globally acclaimed and industrial renown DJI through its Open Innovation Initiative has brought to the fore Livox which unveiled two new sensors, the Horizon, and the Tele-15.  Earlier in October 2019, RedTail LiDAR Systems – a division of 4D Tech Solutions, Inc. Introduced the RTL-400 LiDAR mapping system that has been designed to specifically provide high-resolution 3D images of objects on the ground from small drones flying at an altitude up to 400 feet. With unique scanning capabilities for a wide range of applications – from precision agriculture to construction site monitoring and management the RTL-400 has been developed with technology licensed from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

Again, in July 2029, The Genius drone LiDAR system weighing only 1,168 grams SureStar’s UAV-based LiDAR sensor with Applanix’ APX OEM module for a lightweight UAV mapping solution which enables an efficient and swift mapping or surveying through the means of UAV to produce high-quality deliverables.  Later in November 2019, Middle East Survey Engineering (MESE) – an UAE-based geospatial solutions provider that provides engineering, mapping, marine and surveying, services to government authorities and private entities in the GCC and MENA regions launched the first Lidar-based unmanned aerial system (UAS) in the UAE. It has been reported that the drone equipped with a laser head (UAS with Lidar) utilizes both fixed-wing and multirotor capacities to capture georeferenced data with high accuracy, simultaneously doing away with pixel and GSD challenges associated with a mapping corridor of 400m. While the aforesaid is majorly hardware and technology-centric development, there has been another development that has been brought about along the lines of the pricing model to foster more transactions in the market. To this end, it may be noted that in September 2019, GeoCue Group introduced its new hardware as a service (HaaS) Evergreen Subscription for their True View UAV LIDAR/Imagery Fusion Sensors to the drone industry. access to the True View 410 LIDAR/dual camera imaging sensor under an “Evergreen” subscription pricing model are provided to customers under This breakthrough business model. A True View 410 subscription includes the sensor hardware, all processing software, maintenance, and support and is a turnkey system to ensure the concerned projects are completed on time without any hitch. Therefore, it is evident that with such development the LiDAR drone market is poised to witness a meteoric growth during the forecast period.

The global fluorochemicals market is anticipated to show a nominal growth over the forecast period. The major factors that are projected to drive the market growth is the constantly growing demand for air-conditioners and refrigerators around the globe owing to the rapid urbanization, rising disposable income and also due to the growing middle-class population, especially in the developing economies of the world. Also, a notable increase in the HVAC installations across the globe is also one of the key factors which is propelling the demand for fluorochemicals and adding up to the market growth during the next five years.

Furthermore, the wide applications of these chemicals across numerous industries such as for aluminum production, as blowing agents fire extinguishers and others are also significantly adding up to the market growth during the forecast period. Also, the versatile properties of these chemicals is leading to the growing acceptance of fluorochemicalsacross various industries. Furthermore, the globally growing production of aluminum due to its growing applications in the automotive sector along with decent growth in the production of automobiles also supplement the fluorochemicals market growth in the near future.

The growing demand for air conditioners and refrigerators across the globe on account of the on account impressive economic growth, rising disposable income, and improvement in the standard of living especially in developing economies such as China, India, and Brazil among others is projected to propel the market growth during the next five years.Simultaneously, the production of these products is increasing due to growing demand which is further anticipated to augment the market growth opportunities for the manufacturers during the forecast period. For instance, as per the report from the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association, the global air conditioner demand increased from 104,367 thousand units in 2013 to 110,971 thousand units in 2018.Furthermore, the increasing household consumption expenditure also plays an important role in driving the demand for these products also, which is further expected to propel the market growth for the coming years. Per the World Bank Group, the household’s and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure has grown remarkably from US$37.838 trillion in 2010 to US$48.611 trillion in 2018.

Moreover, the burgeoning automotive production is also considered to significantly drive market growth during the coming years. As the growth in the production of vehicles will lead to a significant increase in the installation of air conditioning systems in these vehicles. In addition, the booming government initiatives for boosting the production of electric vehicles is also one of the key opportunities for the market to surge over the forecast period and beyond. The growth in the sales of the passenger vehicles is leading to a nominal growth in the production also. For example, as per the data from OICA, the production of passenger vehicles increased from 67,530,621 per year in 2014 to 70,567,581 by 2018. Additionally, the booming deployment of electric vehicles across the globe at a growing pace is also anticipated to continue over the coming which is also a key factor that is expected to propel the opportunities for the fluorochemicals market growth in the coming years.

By application, the fluorochemicals market has been classified into aluminum production, refrigerants, blowing agents and others. The refrigerant application of fluorochemicals is anticipated to hold a notable share in the market owing to the growing demand for clean air systems across the manufacturing sector. The booming demand for AC systems and refrigerators also supports the growth of this segment in the coming years.The growth in the aluminum production owing to the high adoption across the automotive sector owing to numerous capabilities of aluminum is also considered to be one of the key factors for this segment to grow substantially over the forecast period. The growing sales of automobiles in various developing economies such as India, China, Brazil, and Argentina is also projected to bolster the growth of the market throughout the forecast period and beyond.

Geographically, the fluorochemicals market has been segmented into North America, South America, Middle East and Africa, Europe and the Asia Pacific. North American region is anticipated to hold a noteworthy share owing to the well-established and a state-of-art chemicals and materials industry. Furthermore, the presence of key players in the market in countries such as the United States is also one of the factors which is anticipated to support the significant share of this region in the next five years. The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to show a notable growth in the market owing to the fact that there is a growing demand for ACs and refrigerators in major developing countries such as India and China among others. Also, the booming automotive sales due to impressive economic growth and the growing middle-class population also supplement the market growth in the APAC region during the forecast period.

Competitive Scenario in the market

The key players in the market are investing heavily in the form of R&D for the development of new products for the expansion of the product portfolio. Also, investments in the facility expansions and partnerships and agreements is also supplementing the market growth during the forecast period. Some of the key developments in the fluorochemicals market are listed below:

Recently in February 2020, Navin Fluorine International Ltd. a leading company fluorochemical manufacturing company based out of India announced a 7 year US$410 million contract with a global company for the supply of high-performance products in the fluorochemicals segment.

In September 2019, Daikin, the world’s one of the largest producers of fluorochemicals in the world announced an investment of around US$195 million in its Decatur production facility. The company aims to expand its production capacity over the coming years along with infrastructure enhancements and R&D capabilities. The investment is also done with an aim to ramp up the polymer production capability and associated monomer production.