SIBUR substitutes imports

SIBUR has commenced construction of Russia's largest n-butyl lithium production facility, a key catalyst in the production of thermoplastic elastomers and synthetic rubbers.

The project is being implemented at Voronezh Synthetic Rubber Plant using SIBUR's unique technology, which surpasses foreign analogs in terms of efficiency. The production capacity will be 350 tons per year, and the project is expected to be completed in 2026. The investment amount is estimated to be "several billion rubles".

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by, among others, the Governor of the Voronezh Region, Alexander Gusev, who noted: "The creation of n-butyl lithium production is an important step ensuring the technological independence of the enterprise in a complex international situation. The new product will be produced not only for Voronezh Synthetic Rubber Plant but also for other SIBUR enterprises and industries".

Voronezh Synthetic Rubber Plant is one of the largest enterprises in the country for the production of synthetic rubber and thermoplastic elastomers. Until 2022, n-butyl lithium was mainly supplied from Europe, and currently, it is imported from other regions.

The new project utilizes a "unique, waste-free technology" developed by the specialists of the SIBUR Innovations research center. "It is the most reliable, efficient, and safe technology among all known domestic and foreign technologies for producing n-butyl lithium, due to the smaller number of production stages and equipment, while ensuring the production of a component with characteristics that are not inferior to the best foreign analogs. Experimental batches of domestically produced n-butyl lithium have successfully passed tests at production sites in Voronezh and Nizhnekamsk", SIBUR reports.

In-house production of n-butyl lithium enables the production of butadiene (SKD-L), butadiene-styrene (SSBR) rubbers, and thermoplastic elastomers (SBS). When used in tire manufacturing, SBS, as noted by the company, "contributes to fuel savings and improves road safety due to better traction properties on wet roads".