Arlanxeo starts 65ktpa polybutadiene rubber plant in Brazil

The Hague, The Netherlands – Arlanxeo has inaugurated a new 65 kilotonne-per-annum (ktpa) polybutadiene (PBR) production line in southern Brazil.

In a statement 8 Feb, the Dutch-based rubber major said the new line is located in the Triunfo petrochemical complex in Rio Grande do Sul, and has been constructed with the aim to reinforce the company’s commitment to Latin America.

The investment, according to Arlanxeo, increases the flexibility of production at the facility in Triunfo, which prior to this produced emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESBR), and EPDM rubber.

The upgrade, which was originally expected in the second half of 2020, adds production of more advanced PBR types: Nd-BR (neodymium butadiene rubber) and lithium butadiene rubber (Li-BR) for tire and non-tire applications.

The new line brings total synthetic rubber production capacity at the site to 150ktpa, according to Arlanxeo.

In addition to the new line, Arlanxeo said it has recently invested in a new nitrile rubber (NBR) production line in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, and a new warehouse operation for polychloroprene rubber in São Paulo.

The nitrile rubber investment, Arlanxeo told ERJ in a separate statement, is an “ESBR/NBR swing-line”, which was completed in recent years. 

The warehouse for chloroprene rubber was completed in September last year.

“Arlanxeo’s state-of-the-art BR production line in [Triunfo] Brazil is a direct response to growing demand for BR in Latin America,” said Angelo Brazil, head of LatAm region.

The PBR, he went on to say, will be supplied to the local tire and plastic markets, simplifying supply chain the region.

Polybutadiene rubber has high resistance to abrasion, low heat buildup, and resistance to cracking, and is widely used to produce tire treads, belts, hoses, gaskets and other automotive parts.