Polybutadiene rubber: Production route
How the catalyst decides what the rubber can do
What this tab covers How it is made: the main production routes or, for product families, the main product types and technologies, compared on share of supply, inputs per tonne, plant scale, yield, co-products and unit cost.All BR is made by solution polymerisation of butadiene. What differs is the catalyst, which sets the microstructure. Neodymium catalysts give over 97% cis-1,4 content with linear chains, the best for tyre wear and rolling resistance. Nickel and cobalt catalysts give 96-97% cis with more branching and easier processing. Lithium (anionic) catalysts give low-cis BR of about 35-40% cis, used for HIPS and ABS. Plant cost is mainly butadiene plus solvent recovery energy.
Routes compared
| Route | Share of supply | Inputs per tonne | Typical scale | Yield | Co-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neodymium high-cis BR (Nd-BR) | about 35-40% and rising (indicative) | about 1.02 t butadiene; neodymium catalyst at grams per t (indicative) | 50-150 kt/yr lines | over 98% (indicative) | none; solvent recycled | butadiene about $1,120/t of BR at $1,095/t (CFR China, Sep 2025) plus about $250-350/t conversion (indicative) |
| Nickel and cobalt high-cis BR | about 40% (indicative) | about 1.02 t butadiene (indicative) | 50-150 kt/yr | over 98% (indicative) | none | similar to Nd-BR (indicative) |
| Lithium low-cis BR (Li-BR) | about 20% (indicative) | about 1.02 t butadiene (indicative) | 30-100 kt/yr | near complete | none | not published |
How each route works
Neodymium high-cis BR (Nd-BR)A neodymium carboxylate catalyst with aluminium alkyl co-catalysts polymerises butadiene in hexane. Gives linear, over 97% cis chains with narrow distribution. Licensed and used by Arlanxeo (Buna CB), Sinopec, PetroChina, Kumho and others (indicative).
Best tyre performance; harder to process and rare-earth dependent.
indicative; butadiene price from butadiene tile Nickel and cobalt high-cis BRNickel (Japan, China) or cobalt catalysts give 96-97% cis BR with long-chain branching that eases mixing. The traditional Chinese BR9000 grade is nickel-based (indicative).
Easy processing; slightly lower performance.
indicative Lithium low-cis BR (Li-BR)Butyllithium initiates anionic polymerisation in cyclohexane, giving about 35-40% cis and 10% vinyl. Low gel content suits dissolving in styrene for HIPS and mass ABS.
Ideal impact modifier; not used alone in tyres.
indicative Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs move with feedstock and energy prices, plant size and region.