ETB Global Pushes Bio-Butadiene Route for Tyre Rubber

ETB Global is developing a renewable route to 1,3-butadiene, a key building block for synthetic rubber used in tyres. The Netherlands-based company says its patented process converts bioethanol directly into butadiene in a single reactor, offering a potential drop-in alternative to fossil-derived material made largely through naphtha cracking.

A feedstock question for tyre makers

Butadiene sits upstream of several synthetic rubbers used in tyre compounds. That makes its source increasingly relevant to manufacturers working to reduce Scope 3 emissions across raw materials, chemicals and logistics.

ETB says more than 95% of butadiene produced today is fossil-based. The company’s process is designed to use bioethanol as the input and produce bio-butadiene with the same chemical identity as conventional butadiene. In practical terms, the claim is that rubber and plastics producers could use the material without redesigning established manufacturing routes.

From chemistry to industrial scale

The key question for tyres is whether the process can scale commercially. ETB’s approach uses a one-step catalytic process, converting bioethanol directly into butadiene in one reactor.

Industry coverage of the process has also noted potential co-products, including bio-hydrogen and ethylene. These could add value across the wider chemicals chain, although the commercial significance for tyre manufacturers will depend on supply reliability, certification and cost.

The company says the route could help create “bio-plastic and bio-rubber for life and industry”. For tyre makers, the more practical test is whether bio-butadiene can meet volume, purity and performance requirements at industrial scale.

Part of a wider rubber transition

ETB’s work sits within a wider movement towards renewable and recycled tyre inputs. Tyre News has previously reported on Zeon Corporation and Yokohama Rubber developing sustainable butadiene technology using bioethanol and other renewable sources. That project was selected for Japan’s Green Innovation Fund through NEDO.

The same pressure is visible in tyre manufacturers’ material programmes. Recent Tyre News coverage of Continental’s sustainable tyres noted the use of synthetic rubber from used cooking oil and pyrolysis oil, alongside certified mass-balance materials. Continental said renewable and recycled content averaged 26% in 2024, with a target of at least 40% by 2030.

Why procurement teams will watch

Bio-butadiene could become important for procurement teams if it can support verified emissions reductions without changing compound performance. Tyre makers are increasingly expected to show how raw materials contribute to climate targets, product claims and customer reporting.

Previous collaboration with Trinseo also shows the tyre connection. In 2021, Trinseo and ETB agreed to explore purified bio-based 1,3-butadiene, with the collaboration focused on sustainable ethanol-based synthetic rubber for green tyre production. Trinseo said customers were seeking renewable and bio-based raw materials along the value chain without compromising performance.

For now, ETB’s platform remains a supply-chain development to watch rather than a finished answer for tyre manufacturers. Its commercial significance will depend on scale-up, certification, feedstock availability and whether downstream rubber producers can secure consistent volumes.

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Tagged with: ETB Global, bio-butadiene, synthetic rubber, bioethanol, tyre manufacturing, sustainable tyres, renewable feedstocks, butadiene, Scope 3 emissions, green rubber, tyre materials

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