Russia's SIBUR aiming to replace most natural rubber in tires in 2025

TOBOLSK. Dec 10 (Interfax) - SIBUR is finalizing tests of experimental tires made with synthetic rubber instead of natural rubber in collaboration with its partners and plans to present the results in 2025, SIBUR Managing Director for Development and Innovation and member of the company's management board Daria Borisova said.

Preliminary results from bench, test site and durability tests confirm that the experimental tires are comparable in performance to standard reference models, she said.

"A total of about 300 prototype tires are currently undergoing testing. We are continuing work across the full range of passenger and commercial vehicle tires," Borisova said.

The company is simultaneously developing its own rubber compound formulations and advanced grades of rubber for the tire industry. Pilot batches produced at the facility are undergoing homologation with partners.

"We have created and tested approximately 20 formulations for different parts of the tire (the sidewall and the tread), and each part has specific requirements and characteristics. Our task is to identify the formulations that provide the necessary functional and physical-mechanical properties to ensure effective substitution and required functionality," Borisova said.

In the summer, it was reported that SIBUR was working with tire manufacturers to replace natural rubber from the Asia-Pacific region with synthetic isoprene rubber in the formulations of various types of tires. Natural rubber accounts for approximately 25% of all raw materials used in tire production, SIBUR Executive Director Pavel Lyakhovich said at the time. "Therefore, if we succeed, and we expect that we will, we can potentially replace up to around 80% of natural rubber imports to our country," he said.