# Polybutadiene rubber: Emissions

Butadiene extraction carries most of the footprint

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/emissions/

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 |

 For a climate investor BR's emissions are mostly in butadiene, so the levers are upstream (circular or bio-based butadiene) and in use (low-rolling-resistance tyres). For India, a growing tyre industry and ethanol surplus make bio-butadiene and clean tyre pyrolysis the ideas to watch. What has to be true: cheap ethanol and buyers paying for certified circular rubber.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polybutadiene/links/index.md)