MOSCOW (MRC) -- Synthos (Oswiecim, Poland) and Lummus Technology's Green Circle business have started collaborating to commercialize Synthos' biobutadiene technology. The first step of the commercialization program includes the development of a feasibility study for a biobutadiene plant with a production capacity of 20,000 tons per year, which will form the basis for an investment decision, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.
"Sustainability is a key for Synthos' products portfolio development. We are keen to support our customers' needs with advanced Synthetic Rubber based on bio-derived butadiene," said Matteo Marchisio, Synthetic Rubbers and Tire Materials BU Director. "We believe that cooperation with Lummus Technology will effectively support our goals referring to renewable and bio-based butadiene. We want it to become the monomer for production of bio-rubber. This important development for Synthos will strengthen our sustainability offering and will provide our customers with a product that has a significantly reduced environmental footprint."
This cooperation will focus on the development and commercialization of a novel technology to process renewable bio-based feedstocks to produce value-added, more sustainable synthetic rubbers. Green Circle, a business entity owned by Lummus Technology, concentrates on economically and technically sound solutions for the comprehensive processing of solid wastes containing plastics; for processing various renewable bio-based feedstocks to value-added chemicals, polymers and fuels; and for the decarbonization of refinery and petrochemicals assets.
Synthos, as a leading supplier of rubbers for the production of tires, is now focusing on producing synthetic rubber from renewable raw materials, which can be achieved through production of biobutadiene from bioethanol. The technology that Lummus and Synthos will commercialize through this agreement to produce biobutadiene is very promising and expected to be the new standard for production of synthetic rubbers.
As MRC reported earlier, Synthos restarted its 185,000-metric tons/year emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (E-SBR) facility in Oswiecim in the second week of January, 2021, following a fire on 7 January.
Synthos produces 120,000 metric tons/year of styrene monomer (SM) and 105,000 metric tons/year of expandable polystyrene (EPS) at Oswiecim and it makes 50,000 metric tons/year of polystyrene (PS) at the site, according to IHS Markit data. The company also produces synthetic adhesives and latex. E-SBR is used in the production of various downstream items including car tires, conveyor belts, and footwear.
SM is the main feedstock for the production of PS.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's overall estimated consumption of PS and styrene plastics rose in March 2021 by 24% year on year to 51,000 tonnes. The estimated consumption totalled 138,740 tonnes in the first three months of 2021, up by 15% year on year.
Synthos SA is one of the largest producers of petrochemical products in Poland and is the largest producer of emulsion rubbers in Europe. Besides, it is the third largest European EPS producer.
MRC