RIO GRANDE, Brazil—Synthos S.A. plans to build a neodymium polybutadiene rubber plant in Rio Grande.
The firm said the investment will be carried out provided that contracts on raw material supplies come into effect.
The plant will manufacture materials used to produce high-performance car and truck tires, along with other various technical rubber products. Synthos said the plant capacity is expected to reach 80,000 metric tons per year.
“Considering the growing demand for synthetic rubber in Brazil and other South American countries, we will not aim at replacing the local production, but try to substitute the import into the region,” Synthos CEO Tomasz Kalwat said.
Synthos said it has signed contract agreements with tire manufacturers Michelin and Pirelli & C. S.p.A. regarding the supply of NdBR to their facilities in Brazil. The production of polybutadiene rubber in Brazil will be based on the license granted by Michelin, according to Synthos.