Sibur expands rubber catalyst capacity

Nizhnekamsk, Russia – Sibur has expanded the capacity for producing neodymium versatate catalyst at its Nizhnekamskneftekhim plant, allowing the group to fully meet its internal demand for the key material used in synthetic rubber production.

The upgrade increases the facility’s capacity by 28% to 485 tonnes per year, enabling Sibur to supply both Nizhnekamskneftekhim and Voronezhsintezkauchuk with sufficient catalyst for the manufacture of up to 250 kilotonnes per annum of polybutadiene rubber.

In a 30 Sept statement, Sibur said the catalyst has passed testing at its PolyLab R&D centre in Nizhnekamsk and industrial qualification trials.

The trials, it said, confirm the product’s compliance with “high standards” and readiness for full-scale industrial application.

The new capacity "will ensure supply chain sustainability and technological independence," explained Sergey Zolototrubov, director of the Nizhnekamskneftekhim synthetic rubber plant.

“The volumes of catalyst produced are sufficient to meet the needs of our enterprises and provide materials for tires for virtually the entire passenger car fleet in the country," he added.

According to Sibur, SKD-N and SKD-ND polybutadiene rubbers, produced using neodymium versate, have “high elasticity, strength and wear resistance.”

They are widely used in the production of high-end tires, within the automotive as well as in construction and mechanical engineering segments.