Polypropylene ethylene has many excellent properties that other general synthetic rubbers do not have. In addition, the monomer is cheap and easy to obtain and has a wide range of uses. It is the fastest developing one of the seven major synthetic rubber varieties abroad since the 1980s. Its output, production capacity and consumption rank third in developed countries, second only to styrene butadiene rubber and CIS butadiene rubber. In 1998, the total production capacity of EPR in the world was about 1.02 million tons and the consumption was 814000 tons. According to preliminary statistics, the consumption in 1999 was about 836100 tons, and it is expected to reach 98000 tons in 2003. From 1998 to 2003, the demand growth rate of EPR was 3.8%, which was higher than that of styrene butadiene rubber and CIS polybutadiene rubber.
