MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem, the largest petrochemical producer in the Americas and the world's leading biopolymer producer, and Genomatica, a US biotechnology company, have signed an agreement for the joint development of a new technology for the production of butadiene from renewable feedstocks, according to Braskem's statement.
Through this partnership, Braskem reaffirms its commitment to invest in the research of producing chemicals from renewable feedstocks, effectively strengthening its leadership role in this segment.
Braskem's objective with green butadiene is to primarily serve the synthetic rubber market, whose demand is currently met by naphtha-based butadiene, of which the company is already the world's third-largest producer. With the expectation of a recovery in global economic growth over the coming years, the company's forecast calls for growing demand for butadiene based elastomers by tire manufacturers, who are the largest consumers of butadiene.
Under the agreement, provided the results are successful, Braskem and Genomatica will build pilot and demonstration plants. The agreement gives Braskem certain exclusivity rights to the technology's use in the Americas.
"Braskem has a clear strategy for investing in the research and development of renewable based chemical technologies as alternatives to complement our current product portfolio based on petrochemicals. In 2010, we became the world leader in Biopolymers when we announced the production of plastic made from sugarcane, and we are now further reinforcing this vision," said Alexandre Elias, director of Renewable Chemicals at Braskem.
In addition to serving as a raw material for the tire industry, butadiene based materials are also used in home appliances, footwear, plastics, asphalt modifiers, oil lubricant additives, tubing, construction components and latex.
Butadiene produced by traditional technological routes has suffered a structural shortage in the Americas due to the growth of shale gas, which, unlike naphtha, generates almost no co-products.
As MRC wrote earlier, since September 2010, Braskem has produced polyethylene resin made from sugarcane ethanol on an industrial scale, which is a 100% renewable material. It invested RD500 million in the construction of a plant located in the Triunfo Petrochemical Complex in the South of Brazil with a capacity to produce 200,000 tonnes of green plastic annually.
Braskem's green plastic is a milestone in global innovation, making Brazil the leading producer of biopolymers in the world. Identified by the "I'm greenTM" seal, the green polyethylene developed in Brazil is used to make a wide range of food packaging and consumer goods.
MRC