Sibur expands production of styrenic elastomers

Nizhnekamsk, Russia – Sibur has increased production capacity for butadiene-styrene copolymers (SBS) at its Nizhnekamsk manufacturing plant by 15%, the Russian group has announced.

The facility has been modernised and expanded to add production capacity for SBS polymers by 19 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa), Sibur said 2 Oct.

The addition brings the overall production capacity for the SBS elastomers to 142 ktpa, with the target to meet growing demand in the domestic and foreign construction markets.

Furthermore, Sibur said the upgrades at the facility, including the modernisation of the separation line, had resulted in ‘almost doubling operational efficiency’ at the plant.

Combining the properties of both elastomers and plastics, SBS polymers are well-suited for use in construction, engineering and road infrastructure, and consumer goods.

According to Sibur, the polymers increase the service life of the road surface by two to three times and reduce tire wear by 10–20%.

The group is currently supplying its SBS polymers for the construction of new Russian highways, including the 800km-long M-12 Moscow-Kazan highway, which is currently under construction.