Phenolic Resin In Tire And Rubber Market (2025 - 2033) Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Novolac Resins, Resol Resins, Alkyl-phenolic Resins, Modified Phenolic Resins), By Property/Function, By Raw Material, By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts

Phenolic Resin in Tire & Rubber Market Summary

The global phenolic resin in tire and rubber market size was estimated at USD 1.49 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 2.73 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2025 to 2033. The growing automotive, construction, and manufacturing demand is driving the market.

Phenolic resins are used in tire compounding as additives that improve reinforcement, tack, and adhesion. They help increase heat resistance, dimensional stability, and bond strength between rubber and textile or steel reinforcements. These qualities are especially important in heavy-duty and industrial tires. Their use is selective. Phenolic resins are common in specialty areas such as bead, sidewall, and high-temperature belt compounds, as well as in industrial tires where thermal and wear performance are critical. In contrast, standard passenger-car treads rely more on silica and carbon black formulations, so phenolics are less common there.

Regionally, Asia-Pacific leads in both production and consumption because of large vehicle markets, integrated supply chains, and cost advantages in China, India, and Southeast Asia. North America and Europe focus more on premium and specialty tires that meet strict regulations. The market includes global leaders with scale advantages and regional companies serving niche segments. Consolidation and long-term supply agreements with automakers are common.

Drivers, Opportunities & Restraints

The global growth in automotive manufacturing, especially in emerging markets like India, Mexico, and Southeast Asia, is significantly increasing demand for phenolic resins in the tire and rubber market. As OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers expand production capacities, they need high-performance bonding and reinforcing materials for tire cord adhesives, rubber compounding, and tread formulations. Phenolic resins are crucial for ensuring durability, thermal stability, and enhanced mechanical strength in tires, directly supporting fuel efficiency and safety standards. The trend toward localizing automotive production is also expected to boost regional resin sourcing and supplier collaborations.

The phenolic resin market in tire and rubber applications presents significant growth opportunities, driven by increasing demand for high-performance and durable materials in the automotive and industrial sectors. Advancements in tire technology, such as the development of more durable and environmentally friendly products, are boosting the demand for specialty resins. Additionally, the push for sustainability and the adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques are expected to create ideal conditions for market expansion across regions, especially in areas with strong industrial and automotive activity.

Regulatory barriers in the EU are raising costs and limiting market access. Under REACH (Commission Regulation 2023/1464), formaldehyde emission limits for finished articles take effect before August 6, 2026. Any tire or rubber component using phenolic resins that emits above these thresholds will require testing, certification, or reformulation. This adds direct compliance costs and creates a risk that non-compliant materials will lose access to the EU market. Exporters to Europe, especially smaller resin formulators, face immediate pricing pressure as testing and certification become mandatory.

Market Concentration & Characteristics

The market growth stage of the phenolic resin in the tire and rubber market is high, and the pace is accelerating. The market exhibits slight fragmentation, with key players dominating the industry landscape. Major companies like Bakelite Synthetics, SI Group, Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd., Kolon Industries, Prefere Resins, Shengquan Group, Capital Resin Corporation, Mitsui Chemicals, and others play a significant role in shaping the market dynamics. These leading players often drive innovation within the market, introducing new products, technologies, and applications to meet evolving industry demands.

The phenolic resin market for tire and rubber applications is seeing significant innovation, driven by a desire for improved performance and sustainability. Manufacturers are working on new resins that improve heat resistance, mechanical strength, and adhesive qualities in rubber composites. This innovation is supplemented by strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as businesses attempt to broaden their product offerings and technology capabilities. Such initiatives promote industry consolidation, enabling firms to leverage synergies and accelerate the development of next-generation materials.

Regulatory frameworks significantly influence the phenolic resin industry, especially environmental and safety standards. Strict emissions and material safety requirements push manufacturers to develop environmentally friendly and compliant resin formulas. For instance, recent legislative changes in the U.S. have removed certain emissions standards for the rubber tire industry, reflecting the evolving regulatory environment. These changes require industry participants to continuously adapt to ensure compliance while maintaining product performance.

Alternative materials, such as thermoplastic elastomers and silane-based coupling agents, are exerting pressure on the phenolic resin market. These substitutes offer different levels of performance and cost efficiency, affecting market dynamics. Additionally, the automotive tire industry remains the largest end user, making up approximately 70% of global phenolic resin consumption. This concentration emphasizes the critical role of the automobile sector in driving demand and shaping the market's future path.

Product Insights

Novolac Resin dominated the phenolic resin in tire and rubber market across the product segmentation in terms of revenue, accounting for a revenue share of 45.88% in 2024, and is forecasted to grow at a 6.3% CAGR from 2025 to 2033. Novolac phenolic resins are high-aromatic, externally curable thermosets that play a critical role in tire and technical-rubber compounds, particularly as reinforcing tackifiers and bonding aids. Technically, they are characterized by low methylol content and low free formaldehyde levels, which necessitate the use of external crosslinkers such as hexamine or methylene donors. This crosslinking mechanism enables the formation of a dense, heat-resistant network, delivering superior thermal and mechanical stability. These qualities make novolacs especially valuable in demanding applications such as inner liners, sidewalls, and bead compounds where controlled cure timing and performance consistency are essential.

The modified phenolic resinssegment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.2% through the forecast period. Modified phenolic resins are phenolic systems chemically tailored with resorcinol, rubber-compatible diluents, or flexibilizers to enhance bonding strength, dynamic modulus, and interface durability in tire constructions. These modifications either increase polarity at specific sites or introduce functional groups that promote stronger methylene bridge formation with rubber and fabric. The result is improved rubber-to-textile and rubber-to-metal adhesion in bead, belt, and ply cements, along with greater flexibility for formulators to adjust stiffness and fatigue resistance without causing excessive embrittlement. This makes modified phenolics a preferred choice for advanced tire designs that require durability and performance balance.

Property/ Function Insights

Tackifying Resins segment dominated the phenolic resin in tire and rubber market in terms of revenue, and accounted for a share of 20.91% in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 7.8% from 2025 to 2033. Tackifying phenolic resins is designed to enhance green tack and handling strength in uncured tire assemblies, ensuring that plies, beads, and chafer components remain firmly in place during building and transfer. Technically, manufacturers rely on low-molecular-weight novolac or alkyl-phenolic grades that provide strong initial stick and a controlled softening point. Alkylation reduces polarity, improving dispersion in non-polar elastomers such as SBR and BR, while retaining hydrogen-bonding sites that sustain tack under mixing heat. This balance of properties enables consistent adhesion and process reliability during high-speed tire construction.

The heat-resistant phenolic resins segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.5% through the forecast period. Heat-resistant phenolic resins, typically formulated as highly crosslinkable novolac or modified phenolic grades, are designed to maintain mechanical integrity and minimize compression set under elevated service temperatures. By raising the glass-transition temperature and reducing thermal softening, these resins deliver sustained modulus and creep resistance, making them vital for demanding applications such as treads, sidewalls, and high-temperature seals. Their ability to extend service life under heavy loads and harsh thermal conditions positions them as key enablers of durability in industrial and heavy-duty tire compounds.

Raw Material Insights

Phenol dominated the phenolic resin in tire and rubber market across the raw material segmentation in terms of revenue, accounting for a market share of 44.90% in 2024, and is forecasted to grow at a 7.2% CAGR from 2025 to 2033. Phenol is the key raw material that determines the backbone, crosslink density, and heat resistance of phenolic resins used in tire and rubber applications. Its chemical structure controls how it reacts with formaldehyde to form stable bonds, directly affecting curing speed and the final glass transition temperature. Adjusting the phenol-to-formaldehyde ratio in tire formulations helps optimize tack, viscosity, and solids for uses such as RFL dips or reinforcing resins in high-heat rubber parts.

Formaldehyde provides the reactive hydroxymethyl groups that enable inter-phenol crosslinking; its molar ratio to phenol (resole vs novolac chemistry) is the single most important lever for cure speed and network structure in tire-relevant phenolics.

End-use Insights

Tire segment dominated the phenolic resin in tire and rubber market across the end use segmentation in terms of revenue, accounting for a market share of 69.52% in 2024, and is forecasted to grow at a 7.1% CAGR from 2025 to 2033. Phenolic resins, especially RFL systems and tackifiers, are essential in tire manufacturing as they ensure strong cord-to-rubber bonding, heat resistance, and consistent curing during press cycles. Their use spans from carcass ply bonding to reinforcement and friction parts, making tires the largest market for application-specific phenolics. OEM contracts drive demand for low-emission, fast-curing grades that meet strict standards, while the aftermarket provides steady, recurring sales. Growing regulatory pressure and the performance needs of EVs are increasing demand for specialty phenolics, even as standard PF resins continue to serve lower-tier products.

The non-tire rubber goods segment is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR of 6.7% through the forecast period. In non-tire rubber products, phenolic resins serve as adhesion promoters, tackifiers, and heat-stable crosslinkers, enhancing durability, fatigue resistance, and temperature performance in reinforced rubber items. This segment combines steady aftermarket demand with industrial investment cycles, so suppliers succeed by ensuring consistent quality, fast delivery, and regulatory compliance that simplifies converter approval.

Regional Insights

The North America phenolic resin in tire and rubber market is anticipated to grow significantly, supported by an integrated automotive industry where vehicles and parts move freely across the US, Canada, and Mexico. This drives steady OEM demand for tire-grade phenolics in passenger car and truck tires, as well as for non-tire rubber products used in assembly and logistics. Resins that offer heat resistance, strong adhesion, and predictable char performance are especially valued, as OEMs require consistent, certifiable binders for long qualification cycles. Because trade is closely linked across the region, changes in any single country can quickly impact suppliers and buyers.

U.S. Phenolic Resin in Tire and Rubber Market Trends

In the U.S., passenger car and truck tires are the main drivers of phenolic resin demand, supported by strong construction and freight activity that boost heavy truck tire use and aftermarket replacements. Fluctuations in vehicle manufacturing also affect orders for non-tire rubber products like hoses and seals used in assemblies. Macro indicators such as construction spending and industrial production highlight the scale and month-to-month variability of demand, leading suppliers to favor flexible production and price pass-through arrangements to manage shifts in phenol and formaldehyde costs.

Asia Pacific Phenolic Resin in Tire and Rubber Market Trends

The phenolic resin in tire and rubber market in Asia Pacific held the largest share of 41.50% in terms of revenue of the in 2024 and is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period. A heavy manufacturing and vehicle-production mix shapes the region’s phenolic resin demand. Passenger car radial and truck and bus radial tires dominate in volume, while non-tire industrial rubber goods (hoses, belts, seals) absorb specialty grades for mining, construction, and logistics. According to APEC, the region’s GDP growth was expected to remain about 3.5% in 2024, supporting steady manufacturing and construction demand that underpins tire and industrial rubber markets.

China phenolic resin in tire and rubber market is the volume engine for regional phenolic demand with heavy exposure across passenger car radial, truck radial, and off-the-road tires, and a large industrial rubber market for hoses and conveyor belts; phenolic chemistries that deliver adhesion to steel cords and thermal char control are widely used across these segments.

Europe Phenolic Resin in Tire and Rubber Market Trends

In Europe, phenolic resins are primarily used in passenger car radial (PCR) and truck & bus radial (TBR) tires, driven by a robust vehicle manufacturing sector and consistent demand from construction-related applications. These resins are essential for providing heat stability, strong adhesion to cords, and predictable thermal char, which are critical for high-performance treads and belt packages.

Key Phenolic Resin in Tire and Rubber Company Insights

The market for phenolic resin in tire and rubber is fragmented owing to the presence of key companies, such as Bakelite Synthetics, SI Group, Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd., Kolon Industries, Prefere Resins, Shengquan Group, Capital Resin Corporation, Mitsui Chemicals, and others. These companies have adopted various strategies, such as new product launches, partnerships, capacity expansions, and collaborations, to expand their market presence.

Recent Developments

• In July 2025, INEOS and Sinopec formed a joint venture named INEOS YPC Phenol (Nanjing) Company Ltd to build the largest phenol and acetone plant in China. The plant was designed to produce 400,000 tons of phenol and 250,000 tons of acetone annually, along with 550,000 tons of cumene capacity. It was located in the Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park, serving China's rapidly growing market. The joint venture combined INEOS's phenol technology with Sinopec's local feedstock advantages and cumene technology.

Phenolic Resin In Tire And Rubber Market Report Scope

Global Phenolic Resin In Tire And Rubber Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2021 to 2033. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global phenolic resin in tire and rubber market report based on product, property/function, raw material, end-use, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, Volume, Kilotons, 2021 - 2033)

  • Novolac Resins

  • Resol Resins

  • Alkyl-Phenolic Resins

  • Modified Phenolic Resins

• Property/ Function Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Kilotons, 2021 - 2033)

  • Tackifying Resins

  • Reinforcing Resins

  • Adhesive Resins

  • Crosslinking/Curing Agents

  • Heat-resistant Resins

  • Friction/Brake Resins

• Raw Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Kilotons, 2021 - 2033)

  • Phenol

  • Formaldehyde

  • Resorcinol

  • Hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA)

  • Cresols and other phenolics

  • Cardanol and bio-phenolic inputs

  • Others

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Kilotons, 2021 - 2033)

  • Tire

    • Passenger Car Radial

    • Truck and Bus Radial

    • Off-the-Road and Agricultural

    • Two-wheeler

    • Aircraft and Specialty

  • Non-tire Rubber Goods

    • Conveyor and Power Transmission Belts

    • Hoses and Tubing

    • Seals and Gaskets

    • Rubberised Fabrics and Cord Adhesion Systems

    • Others

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Kilotons, 2021 - 2033)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • UK

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East & Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • South Africa

    • UAE