Dow opens 60 ktpa S-SBR unit in Schkopau

ERJ staff report (DS)

Horgen, Switzerland -- Dow Europe has opened a new 60 kt/year facility for making solution-SBR. As part of the deal, JSR Corp. has rights to a portion of the capacity of the unit, which is located in Schkopau, Germany.

The new plant produces the latest generation of synthetic rubber - a key component in the manufacturing of tread profiles in high performance tyres.

“With Dow's long history and industry leadership position in Rubber Polymer solutions, this is the next step strengthening Dow's position in the most advanced Rubber Polymer solution,” said Ralf Irmert, global business director Synthetic Rubber. “Our new products enable our tyre producing partners to implement significant advantages in areas like rolling resistance (fuel efficiencies and CO₂ emissions) and grip performance, while increasing their supply security,” he added.

Irmert told ERJ that the plant has been designed specifically to allow batch production  of  specific grades of functionalised S-SBR developed in conjunction with major customers in the tyre industry. 

He said  that six months ago demand for S-SBR had been far in excess of capacity in Europe, but now with the  current  downturn this  plant will bring the  supply-demand situation  more or less into balance and he expected that the plant would be full by the end of the year. In the meantime, the plant would be in ramp-up phase, steadily bringing production on stream.