4 Feb 2022
Hot on the heels of the publication of the new E4S rankings, the search is now on for new contenders for the Top 10 table
Judged by an independent panel of experts, the E4S initiative identifies projects with the potential to significantly raise the environmental profile of the global elastomers/rubber industry.
Key criteria for success in the E5S programme include the uniqueness of a project, as well as the level of innovation and the project team's roadmap for commercialisation.
JSR scored highest by providing further details of how the tailored molecular structure provided by its HSBR technology delivers major physical property improvements. Importantly, the Japanese company also reported that tires employing this technology are now in commercial use.
LIkewise, Nynas came back with a lot more details about its bio-process oil project, in response to the judging panel’s request for more verification of test results and evidence of commercialisation than provided with the original entry.
Scoring the Swedish supplier significantly higher this time around, one judge commented: “They seem to be tackling the bigger picture and can work in both tires and IRG [industrial rubber goods]. The potential impact has to be huge.”
In the previous E4S, project updates propelled UPM’s renewable functional fillers (RFF) project up to fourth place in the table. For E4S IV, UPM further underlined the continuing momentum behind this project.
Similarly, ETB has made substantial strides with its bio-based butadiene production project that scoring highly in the very first E4S programme in May 2020 – reaching second place in our Top 10 rankings.
The original project entry cited several commercial partnerships, though details were limited for contractual reasons. However, the Russian company has announced a collaboration with Trinseo to explore commercialisation of the technology.
The partners envisage starting up a pilot plant employing technology from both companies. The unit is to produce bio-butadiene from ethanol feedstock via ETB's catalyst and single-stage process technology.
ETB also reported recent commercial agreements towards establishing a facility at a major European petrochemicals site, as well as strong demand for its bio-based monomers from the synthetic rubber industry.
Breaking the trend, Asahi Kasei weighed in with a new application for its styrenic block copolymer technology, employing advanced partial-hydrogenation and functionalisation chemistries.
The judging panel was impressed by how the molecular architecture, which can reduce the mixing temperature with bitumen and the amount of polymer added. It also lowers degradation via ageing and enhances adhesion to aggregates, thereby extending service-life of pavements.
Tyromer previously came close to topping the original E4S table with stand-out progress in the field of devulcanisation. The latest updates indicated continuing progress in addressing the technical and commercial challenges attached to this important recycling route.
Former table-topper Techsyn impressed the E4S judges with the collaborative approach taken by its partners to fast-track the development of tire compounds offering significant improvements in rolling-resistance and wear properties.
Eni company Versalis was a close second with its project to introduce styrenic block copolymers (SBCs) based on feedstock monomers obtained from renewable sources via the mass-balance approach and certified using ISCC+ methodology,
Even without project updates, ExxonMobil Chemical has maintained a top-10 position in the latest E4S table for its development of a new speciality elastomer that enhance the barrier performance of tire inner-liners.
As was noted in the previous E4S rankings, the project is closely attuned to the drive to new-mobility with its requirements for new levels of sustainability, safety and performance.
ExxonMobil’s industry-leading R&D efforts also extend to automotive components, as evidenced by its fifth-placed project to develop TPV integrated systems for sustainable glass run channel weatherseals.
The panel was impressed by the potential to use up to 50% post-consumer recyclate in the profile, with one judge commenting “lots of potential especially in auto and should be jumped on by OE’s for commercial support.”
Straight in at no 4 in the E4S table is UPM Biochemcials, with a project to convert sustainably sourced wood into renewable functional fillers (RFFs) for applications in the tire and rubber industries.
RFFs will be produced at UPM’s new €550-million biorefinery at Leuna, Germany, which has capacity to produce about 200kt of various bio-based products. The fillers are currently produced at a pilot-scale for material testing and development in elastomer applications with various OE partners.
Asahi Kasei’s development of new-generation functionalised styrene-butadiene rubber topped the very first E4S programme in mid-2020, and the judges are keen to track the progress this highly impressive polymer sceince-based project.
Further details of all E4S IV Top 10 projects are featured in the Nov/Dec edition of European Rubber Journal magazine and in the Technical Papers section of the ERJ website.
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