Producer
Kraton Corporation
Inventor and leading maker of styrenic block copolymers (SBS/SIS); also a pine-chemicals business. ~18% global SBS share. Acquired by DL Holdings (DL Chemical, South Korea) in 2022.
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SBS/SIS Block Copolymers (Asphalt & Adhesives)
45%SEBS & Hydrogenated Copolymers (Medical & Industrial)
25%Pine Chemicals (Tall Oil Derivatives)
30%
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Did you know2024
Kraton's SEBS (hydrogenated SBS) compounds formulated with mineral oil are used in medical device manufacturing (catheter bodies, IV connection ports, infusion tubing — requiring USP Class VI biocompatibility) AND as the gel base for consumer personal care products (baby oil gel, cosmetic eye creams, topical analgesics like Bengay or diclofenac gel). The same SEBS-mineral oil compound in a hospital's IV catheter junction is chemically similar to the compound in a baby's moisturizer or in an over-the-counter arthritis gel. Kraton's pharmaceutical-grade SEBS polymers and personal care grade SEBS polymers share the same polymer backbone — the distinction is purity level and regulatory grade. A Kraton SEBS production disruption would simultaneously affect medical device manufacturing supply chains (critical hospital consumables) and personal care product supply chains (high-volume consumer goods), as both industries source from the same hydrogenated block copolymer base.
Kraton Corporation ↗Origin2024
Kraton Corporation traces its origin to Shell Chemical's invention of SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) block copolymer technology in the 1960s. Shell researchers discovered that alternating "hard" polystyrene blocks and "soft" polybutadiene or polyisoprene blocks could create a polymer that behaves like rubber at ambient temperature but can be processed like thermoplastic at elevated temperatures — a "thermoplastic elastomer" (TPE). This eliminated the need for vulcanization (sulfur cross-linking, used since Goodyear's 1839 discovery) for flexible rubber products. Shell's Kraton brand became the industry standard. Shell spun off the Kraton business as an independent company; it went public as Kraton Corporation, then was acquired by DL Chemical (a South Korean conglomerate) in 2022 for ~$2.5B. The original Shell petrochemical research that revolutionized road building, footwear, and adhesives now belongs to a Korean company.
Kraton Corporation ↗