Polybutadiene rubber: Emissions
Butadiene extraction carries most of the footprint
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 2.20 t CO2e per t range 2.0-3.5 · derived: 1.02 t butadiene x 1.3 = about 1.3 t, plus about 0.8 t solvent recovery and drying and 0.1 t transport Global emissions per year 8.00 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · about 3.7 Mt x 2.2 t CO2e/t (derived, indicative)Per t of BR, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: butadiene tile (indicative); derived. Global total: derived.
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 59% Production / process 36% Movement 5%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 1.3 t CO2e/t | 59% | naphtha cracking and butadiene extraction | allocation of cracker emissions to butadiene matters | butadiene tile (indicative) |
| Production / process | about 0.8 t CO2e/t | 36% | steam stripping of hexane or cyclohexane, drying | solvent losses add VOCs | indicative |
| Movement | about 0.1 t CO2e/t | 5% | container shipping of bales | small | indicative |
| Use | not quantified per t of BR | – | tyre rolling resistance and wear | Nd-BR helps lower rolling resistance; tyre wear particles | indicative |
| End of life | about 3.3 t CO2 per t if burned (calculated from 89% carbon) | – | end-of-life tyres to cement kilns, pyrolysis, crumb rubber | vulcanised rubber not remeltable | calculated (indicative) |
Other environmental impacts
Tyre wear microplastics; hexane VOC emissions; rare-earth mining impacts in the catalyst chain (small per t).
Levers to cut emissions
- Nd-BR and functionalised BR to cut tyre rolling resistance (indicative).
- Bio-based or circular butadiene (from ethanol or tyre pyrolysis oil) under mass balance (indicative).
- Heat integration and renewable steam for solvent recovery.
- Lower solvent losses and VOC capture.
India
India's BR footprint sits in Reliance's integrated plants and in imports. India's sugar-ethanol programme could in principle supply bio-butadiene, but no project was found in sources reached.
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.Low-carbon routes
| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butadiene from bio-ethanol for BR | not published in sources reached | large (indicative) | pilot and demonstration (indicative) | indicative |
| Mass-balance circular BR from tyre pyrolysis oil | not published | not published | early commercial in Europe (indicative) | indicative |