IARC MONOGRAPHS ON THE EVALUATION OF CARCINOGENIC ...

Styrene is produced mainly by catalytic dehydrogenation of high-purity ethylbenzene
in the vapour phase. Typical catalysts are based on ferric oxide with the additives
chromia (Cr 2O 3) (stabilizer) and potassium oxide (coke retardant) (Lewis et al.,
1983). Fractionation of the product results in separation of high-purity styrene, unconverted
ethylbenzene and minor reaction by-products such as toluene and benzene
(WHO, 1983; James & Castor, 1994; Chen, 1997; Ring, 1999).
A smaller amount of styrene is produced as a co-product from a propylene oxide
process. In this route, ethylbenzene is oxidized to its hydroperoxide and reacted with
propylene to yield propylene oxide. The co-product methyl phenyl carbinol is then
dehydrated to styrene (Mannsville Chemical Products Corp., 1987; Collins & Richey,
1992; James & Castor, 1994; Chen, 1997; Ring, 1999).
Data on the 1998 global production (and production capacity) and consumption of
styrene by region are presented in Table 1.
Information available in 2001 indicated that styrene was produced by 21 companies
in China, 10 in the USA, nine in Japan, six in Korea (Republic of), four each in Germany,
Russia and the Ukraine, three each in Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico and the
Netherlands, two each in Azerbaijan, Belgium, Singapore and the United Kingdom and
one each in Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, India,
Iran, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Thailand (Chemical Information Services, 2001).
1.3 Use
STYRENE 441
Table 1. Worldwide supply and demand for styrene in 1998
(thousand tonnes) a
Region Capacity Production Consumption
North America 6 763 6 095 5 241
South America 400 339 548
Western Europe 4 852 4 040 4 163
Eastern Europe 1 176 366 411
Middle East 555 518 275
Asia 7 294 6 503 7 155
Other b
112 84 119
Total 21 152 17 945 17 912
a From Ring (1999)
b Includes Africa and Oceania
Worldwide, styrene is one of the most important monomers for polymers and copolymers
that are used in an increasingly wide range of applications. The major uses for
styrene are in plastics, latex paints and coatings, synthetic rubbers, polyesters and
styrene-alkyd coatings (Collins & Richey, 1992). The broad spectrum of uses of these