21 Sep 2011
Duesseldorf, Germany -- Lanxess AG is in the final stages of negotiating a 10-year exclusive supply deal with Gevo Inc for the supply of isobutanol. Lanxess will ship the material to its butyl rubber factory in Sarnia Canada.
Lanxess will then use its own technology to dehydrate the isobutanol to covnert it to isobutene. This is formed into a co-polymer woth isoprene to make butyl rubber (isoprene-isobutene rubber or IIR). That material can then be halogenated to make halobutyl used in tyre inner liners.
Dr Ron Commander, head of Lanxess butyl business said, "Biologically-obtained isobutene has already proven its quality in several months of testing in pilot plant" He confirmed that bio-isobutene meets all REACh requirements.
He said that Lanxess aims to source 50 percent of the raw mateials for butyl rubber at its Sarnia plant, 'in the near future" but declined to be more specific about timing. He added, "Several tens of thousands of tons of butyl rubber expected to be commercially available mid-decade"
Presentation from Dr Commander given at Lanxess Rubber Day, Duesseldorf 21 September
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