In the meantime, Synthos and others in the industry are looking to use alternative materials for their sustainability efforts, including what is known as "second-generation ethanol."
Marchisio said first-generation ethanol made from corn is not available to those producing SR because it conflicts with the food chain. But when ethanol is later recycled, that second-generation ethanol is available for industrial use.
"But in this specific moment, there is not enough quantities available on the planet, so the industry is organizing itself in order to make more feedstock available," he said.
While these efforts are ongoing, Synthos received ISCC Plus certification for its entire SR portfolio from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, a globally applicable sustainability certification system that covers all sustainable feedstocks Scheme. This enables companies throughout the supply chain to demonstrate the sustainability of their products based on traceability and mass balance requirements, according to Synthos.
Much of this involved the synthetic rubber firm using pyrolysis to produce oil as a feedstock in producing butadiene, Marchisio said.
Synthos also has a minority stake in Tyre Recycling Solutions S.A., a Swiss scale-up company that specializes in developing solutions for the collection, processing and recycling of end-of-life tires. With this partnership, Synthos said it can offer customers a sustainable solution in the form of high-performance recycled rubber powder made from recycled tires.
At the IEC, Synthos also highlighted its advanced solution SBR that can be used in production of high-performance tires, bringing improved fuel efficiency and longer battery range due to a balance of low rolling resistance and wet grip, an excellent mechanical property profile, and balanced wear and processing properties.
"Looking ahead to the ban on (internal combustion engine) cars by 2035 in California, we believe advanced SSBR will play an increasingly important role as one of the leading solutions for tire treads for electric vehicles that meet the technical requirements for high torque, higher weight and longer battery ranges," Marchisio said.