COLOGNE, Germany—The path to more sustainable production of rubber feedstocks like styrene just got a bit clearer.
Specialty chemical company Lanxess said Jan. 7 that it will partner with France-based TotalEnergies S.E. for a more sustainable equivalent of styrene, which typically uses petroleum in its production.
Using proprietary technology from TotalEnergies, the process will use tall oil as a feedstock for styrene production, a material derived from tree oil (and which is a by-product of pulp production).
Lanxess has a target date of 2050 for "fully climate-neutral" raw material usage, like biocircular styrene, which the company uses to make sustainable ion exchange resins for wastewater treatment and chemical process flows.
"Our customers are increasingly asking for sustainable solutions, and raw materials with a low carbon footprint are a key lever here," said Marcel Beermann, head of global procurement and logistics at Lanxess. "By partnering with TotalEnergies, we can further expand the respective offering for our customers."