Sibur project looks to use 100% synthetic rubber in tires

Tobolsk, Russia – Russian synthetic rubber (SR) and materials supplier Sibur is working to fully replace natural rubber with SR in the production of tires, according to a company official.

The supplier is ‘finalising tests’ on prototype tires made in partnership with Russian tire maker Cordiant, said Sibur managing director for development and innovation Daria Borisova.

"A total of about 300 prototype tires are currently undergoing testing. We are continuing work across the full range of passenger and commercial vehicle tires," Borisova told ERJ 12 Dec.

The partners aim to present the results of the tests in 2025, she said noting that preliminary results show that the performance of the tires is comparable to standard reference models.

The statement followed a June report by Sibur stating that it intended to develop the SR-based tires to protect the ‘sovereignty of Russia’s domestic transport industry’ and to replace imports of NR from Asia Pacific.

According to Sibur, in 2023, 38.8 million tires were produced in Russia, and production is expected to grow by 6% in 2024, reaching about 41 million units.

Natural rubber, the only imported item to make the tires, accounted for 24% of the materials used in the tires, Sibur added.

As part of their cooperation, Sibur and Cordiant said they planned to find solutions “for the maximum replacement of natural rubber with isoprene grade SKI 970 manufactured by Sibur.”

The use of SR, they said, is expected to improve the quality of tires by increasing the homogeneity of the material.

The companies said they would also study the development of new brands of SR and formulations to enhance the performance of tires.

The project, according to Sibur, was launched in the aftermath of major tire makers’ exit from Russia and a ban on the imports of rubbers and chemicals from the EU to Russia.

With these developments, it said, “there was a risk of a number of tire production facilities being shut down.”

In response, Sibur said it launched a project in 2023 to support tire customers, including the development of new brands and the adaptation of rubber compounds.

The RUB200 million (€1.8 million) project, said Sibur, helped reduce Russia’s imports of SR “from 11% [of total demand] in 2021 to 1% in 2023.”

By the end of 2023, Sibur said it replaced seven imported brands of synthetic rubbers and certified 50 non-rubber raw materials to support the tire industry.