The Synthetic Isoprene Rubber Plant, a part of Nizhnekamskneftechim JSC, plans to produce a new type of rubber, divinyl styrene rubber. In April, 2004, the plant will start to purchase equipment and to build the line.
Divinyl styrene rubber combined with polybutadiene and polyisoprene rubber will constitute a full set of feedstock required to produce up-to-date tyres, and the plant will become an attractive supplier of the tyre industry.
The costs which the plant will incur are well justified: the set of up-to-date rubbers which will be supplemented with divinyl styrene rubber is a real step towards the production of green (environmentally safe) tyres. "The only unclear point is weather our domestic tyre industry is ready to this, — believes Edward Tulchinsky, Director, Synthetic Isoprene Rubber Plant. — Unfortunately, at the moment, we can only plan the sale of our future product to foreign consumers. Sooner or later, a market for the new rubber will open in Russia as well. However, the 50 thousand tons capacity we are going to build will mostly manufacture rubber for export."
