Chinese majors advance ‘iron-based’ synthetic rubber for tire applications

Qingdao, China – China’s Qingdao Institute of Energy and Sinopec’s Baling Petrochemical have started industrial-scale production of 'iron-based' solution-polymerised styrene butadiene rubber (SBR).

The programme has seen Baling establish a first plant to manufacture the material on an industrial scale in China, said Qingdao Institute of Energy in a 6 Jan statement.

The facility is said to have capacity to produce 30 kilotonne per annum (ktpa) of the new “iron-based comb-branched styrene butadiene rubber.”

The project has been carried out in partnership with tire makers including Linglong, Sentury and Haohua Tire, according to the statement.

The aim, it said, is to address “China's heavy dependence” on imports of synthetic rubber and the country's “urgent need” for high-value conversion and utilisation of C4-C5 olefins.

As part of the process, the institute said it had developed a catalyst technology and catalytic polymerisation technology with independent IP rights to produce the 'iron-based' SBR.

The project is stated to have won domestic innovation awards and passed a scientific and technological appraisal by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation in July last year.

Over the next phase of the project, Qingdao Institute of Energy said it would continue the R&D programme to upgrade the catalytic polymerisation technology.

The company will also “strengthen cooperation” with Baling Petrochemical, Linglong Tire, Sentury Tire, Haohua Tire to expand the application of iron-based SBR.