What is n-Butene
Analysts Sentiment
Bullish
33.7%
Neutral
33.8%
Bearish
32.5%
What's driving sentiment this week:
Past Week (2026-06-01 to 2026-06-07) — Sentiment: Neutral
No new supply disruptions or expansions drove n-Butene availability last week, leaving supply steady.
Demand factors remained flat without significant changes in downstream ethylene or polymer plant operations through early June.
Geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions showed no material shocks impacting trade flows or feedstock costs during this period.
This Week (2026-06-08 to 2026-06-14) — Outlook: Neutral
Market prices are expected to rangebound given the absence of immediate catalysts in supply or demand.
The main focus will be on North American cracker maintenance schedules (expected), which could modestly influence spot tightness late this week.
A sudden surge in crude oil prices or an unforeseen supply disruption in petrochemical hubs would shift the tone sharply higher.
Key Market Impact
Current fundamentals see balanced supply-demand forces maintaining margins and utilization near prior levels.
Traders and buyers are likely to hold off large commitments and await clearer directional signals from upstream cracker utilization data.
How About the Price?
Price Trajectory 2020–2026 (Brief Recap)
Phase 1 — Stable baseline (2020): Prices held steady at $120.5 per ton with no recorded influencing factors in the events log.
Phase 2 — Rising trend (2026): Prices increased sharply to $178.3 per ton by June 8, 2026, with no specific events documented in the influence log to explain this rise.
Supply-side factors
- No recorded supply-side factors impacting price from 2020 through mid-2026 as per the events log.
Demand-side factors
- No recorded demand-side factors impacting price from 2020 through mid-2026 as per the events log.
Substitutes & Alternatives
| Substitute | Replacement Scenario / How It Substitutes |
|---|---|
| 1-Hexene | Used as a comonomer in LLDPE production in place of 1-butene. Produces LLDPE with superior film toughness and puncture resistance. Requires no process reformulation for Ziegler-Natta or metallocene catalyst systems; the switch is largely a feedstock change at the polymerization reactor. Preferred when higher comonomer incorporation efficiency is desired. |
| 1-Octene | Higher alpha-olefin comonomer for LLDPE and VLDPE, substituting 1-butene where enhanced mechanical properties (tear strength, elongation) are required. Drop-in at the reactor level but commands a price premium. Produced via ethylene oligomerization (e.g., SHOP process). |
| Isobutylene (Isobutene) | Substitutes n-butene in alkylation units (refinery gasoline production) and as a C4 olefin feedstock for fuel blending. In MTBE/ETBE synthesis, isobutylene is the preferred feedstock over n-butene. For butyl rubber production, isobutylene is the direct monomer and cannot be replaced by n-butene, but in mixed C4 alkylation feeds, n-butene and isobutylene are interchangeable to a degree. |
| Propylene | Partial substitute in polymer applications: polypropylene can replace polybutylene in certain packaging and pipe applications. In refinery alkylation, propylene can substitute n-butene as an alkylation feedstock, though octane yield and product distribution differ. Requires process and formulation adjustments. |
| n-Butane (with dehydrogenation) | On-purpose feedstock substitute: n-butane can be catalytically dehydrogenated to produce n-butene (and further to butadiene), making it an upstream substitute when n-butene supply is tight. Not a direct drop-in but an alternative production route that effectively replaces steam-cracker-derived n-butene. |
| Ethylene (via metathesis) | In the Shell Higher Olefins Process (SHOP) and similar metathesis routes, ethylene reacts with 2-butene to produce 1-butene, or internal olefins are redistributed. Ethylene thus acts as a functional substitute feedstock for generating 1-butene comonomer, bypassing the need to source it directly from C4 cracker streams. |
| Butadiene (hydrogenation) | Selective hydrogenation of butadiene present in crude C4 streams can convert it to n-butene, effectively using butadiene as a precursor/substitute feedstock to increase n-butene yield within an existing C4 processing train. Used when butadiene market prices are low relative to butene values. |
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Aerosol Coatings | US EPA | 2025 | Reactivity-based VOC limits and reactivity factors for consumer products; no specific threshold for n-Butene | US EPA (https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/aerosol-coatings-national-volatile-organic-compound-emission) |
| EU | Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) | ECHA | 2006 | REACH registration required for n-Butene (EC No. 203-449-2, REACH registration number 01-2119456615-34) | ECHA (https://chem.echa.europa.eu/) |
| EU | Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP) | ECHA | 2008 | Hazard classification (flammable gas) and labelling | ECHA (https://chem.echa.europa.eu/) |
| China | Regulations on the Control over Safety of Hazardous Chemicals | Ministry of Ecology and Environment | 2011 | Management of hazardous chemicals; registration required for n-Butene | Ministry of Ecology and Environment (https://www.mee.gov.cn/) |
| China | Measures on Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances | Ministry of Ecology and Environment | 2020 | Environmental management registration for new chemical substances | Ministry of Ecology and Environment (https://www.mee.gov.cn/) |
| US | OSHA Hazard Communication Standard | OSHA | 2012 (current) | GHS classification (flammable gas); exposure limits for butenes isomers | OSHA (https://www.osha.gov/) |
| US | NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards | NIOSH | ongoing | Exposure limit TWA 800 ppm (1900 mg/m³); flammable gas classification | NIOSH (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/) |
Key Influence Events
n-Butene (also written as n-butylene) refers to a group of four-carbon straight-chain olefins (alkenes) with the molecular formula C4H8, existing as three structural isomers: 1-butene (double bond at C1), cis-2-butene, and trans-2-butene (double bond at C2). All three are colorless, flammable gases at ambient conditions with boiling points near or slightly above 0 °C. n-Butene is primarily obtained as a co-product of steam cracking of naphtha or ethane for ethylene production, and from fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) in oil refineries. It is a key petrochemical intermediate used in the production of polybutylene, butadiene (via oxidative dehydrogenation), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), sec-butanol, isobutylene (via skeletal isomerization), and as a comonomer in linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). It is also used as a fuel blending component and alkylation feedstock in refineries.
Top Countries Production Capacity
Production Process of n-Butene
n-Butene (also written as n-butylene) refers to a group of four-carbon straight-chain olefins (alkenes) with the molecular formula C4H8, existing as three structural isomers: 1-butene (double bond at C1), cis-2-butene, and trans-2-butene (double bond at C2). All three are colorless, flammable gases at ambient conditions with boiling points near or slightly above 0 °C. n-Butene is primarily obtained as a co-product of steam cracking of naphtha or ethane for ethylene production, and from fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) in oil refineries. It is a key petrochemical intermediate used in the production of polybutylene, butadiene (via oxidative dehydrogenation), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), sec-butanol, isobutylene (via skeletal isomerization), and as a comonomer in linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). It is also used as a fuel blending component and alkylation feedstock in refineries.
Specs & Grades
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Butene purity (polymer grade) | ≥ 99.5 | wt% | Polymer Grade 1-Butene |
| 1-Butene purity (chemical grade) | ≥ 98.0 | wt% | Chemical Grade 1-Butene |
| 2-Butene content (in 1-butene grade) | ≤ 0.3 | wt% | Polymer Grade |
| Isobutylene content (in 1-butene grade) | ≤ 0.1 | wt% | Polymer Grade |
| Butadiene content | ≤ 10 | ppm wt | Polymer Grade |
| Total sulfur | ≤ 1 | ppm wt | Polymer Grade |
| Water content | ≤ 5 | ppm wt | Polymer Grade |
| Acetylene content | ≤ 5 | ppm wt | Polymer Grade |
| CO + CO2 content | ≤ 5 | ppm wt | Polymer Grade |
| Oxygen content | ≤ 2 | ppm wt | Polymer Grade |
| Mixed n-Butene (refinery grade, C4 raffinate) | 1-butene + 2-butene ≥ 50 | wt% | Refinery / Alkylation Grade |
| Boiling point (1-butene) | -6.3 | °C | Pure component |
| Boiling point (cis-2-butene) | 3.7 | °C | Pure component |
| Boiling point (trans-2-butene) | 0.9 | °C | Pure component |
| Vapor pressure at 20 °C (1-butene) | ~2.0 | bar abs | Pure component |
| Density (liquid, 1-butene at 20 °C) | ~595 | kg/m³ | Pure component |
Who are the Top Players?
| Company | Headquarters | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Evonik Industries AG | Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany | Baytown TX |
| TPC Group | Houston, Texas, USA | Houston TX |
| Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC | Houston, Texas, USA | Cedar Bayou TX, Baytown TX |
| Sinopec | Beijing, China | Zhenhai, Maoming, Qilu, Lanzhou, Dushanzi |
| Reliance Industries Limited | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | Jamnagar |
| PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited | Bangkok, Thailand | Map Ta Phut |
| Petrokemya | Yanbu, Saudi Arabia | Yanbu |
| INEOS Group Holdings S.A. | London, England, United Kingdom | Grangemouth, Cologne |
Our Analysis are Happy
"Global volatility doesn't have to be a risk for your business. We monitor feedstock shifts and geopolitical trends daily to help you anticipate price movements before they hit the market."
Theo James
"Data is only as good as its source. We go beyond the numbers to ensure that the product grade you select matches your specific application, reducing waste and optimizing your operational efficiency."
Emilia Munro
"Timing is everything in petrochemical procurement. Our goal is to align your purchasing cycles with market troughs, effectively lowering your cost basis and maximizing your margins."
Branden Griffiths
we’re here to all your questions
Everything you need to know about our market analysis, product quality, and procurement process.
How much for a custom market analysis?
Costs vary based on the scope. Please contact our sales team for a custom quote.
Do you offer trade credit or bulk pricing?
Yes, we offer flexible payment terms and volume-based pricing for corporate accounts.
Do you provide product quality documentation?
Yes, every delivery includes a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and safety documentation (MSDS).
Can you help me select the right product specification?
Certainly. Our technical experts are available to guide you to the ideal grade for your specific application.