Asahi Kasei selling ISCC-certified synthetic rubber

TOKYO—Asahi Kasei Corp. has started the sale of sustainable synthetic rubber materials after receiving the internationally recognized ISCC Plus certification.

In a statement Nov. 17, the Japanese supplier said the sale of ISCC Plus-certified Tufdene-branded solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) and Asadene butadiene rubber would begin in November.

The products are made using the mass-balance approach at Asahi Kasei Synthetic Rubber Singapore Pte. Ltd. and the Synthetic Rubber Plant of Asahi Kasei's Kawasaki Works.

The materials, Asahi Kasei said, will be manufactured with feedstock derived from biomass and plastic waste along with other raw material.

The launch of the materials, said the company, is part of Asahi Kasei's commitment to help reduce the CO2 emissions of the tire and rubber industry.

The mass balance procedure is a method used to calculate the proportion of sustainable raw materials for individual products in a mix of sustainable and fossil fuel-based feedstock.

The ISCC Plus certification ensures that biomass, recycled materials and sustainable feedstock are appropriately managed under the mass-balance method throughout the supply chain, including the manufacturing processes.