Isobutene Market Outlook And Forecast Until 2019
Isobutene or 2-methylpropene is a colorless and volatile liquid and a downstream derivative of crude oil. It is produced during the fractionation process of refinery gasses and by means of catalytic cracking of methyl-t-butyl ether. Isobutene is an important chemical and is used in a variety of applications ranging from fuel additives and polymers to pharmaceuticals and agriculture industries. The annual global production of isobutene exceeds 10 million metric tons. The primary driver for the isobutene market is the growing aerospace market as well as the growing demand for rubber from automotive market. Isobutene is the source of polyisobutene which is the precursor chemical for the production of fuel and lubricant additives. Isobutene is added to methanol to produce MTBE (Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether) and with ethanol to produce ETBE (Ethyl Tert-Butyl Ether) which are the main types of fuel additives in the market. Isobutene is added to isobutene to produce isooctane, which...