DUESSELDORF, Germany (Sept. 22, 2011)—Lanxess A.G. said it is in the final stages of negotiating a 10-year exclusive deal with Gevo Inc. for the supply of isobutanol.
Lanxess will ship the material to its butyl rubber factory in Sarnia, Canada, the company said.
Lanxess said it will then use its own technology to dehydrate the isobutanol to convert it to isobutene. That material can then be halogenated to make halobutyl used in tire inner liners.
Ron Commander, head of the Lanxess butyl business, said Lanxess aims to source 50 percent of the raw materials for butyl rubber at its Sarnia plant "in the near future" but declined to be more specific about timing.