Rubber chemicals: Emissions
Where the carbon in rubber chemicals comes from
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 4.00 t CO2e per t range about 2.5-6 · indicative: aniline-based multi-step synthesis; aniline itself roughly 2.5-3 t CO2e/t plus process steam and effluent treatment Global emissions per year 6.00 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · about 1.5 Mt x 4 t CO2e/t (indicative)Per t of rubber chemical, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: indicative. Global total: indicative.
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 60% Production / process 35% Movement 5%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 2.4 t (indicative) | 60% | benzene, nitric acid (N2O), ammonia-based amines, CS2 | Share indicative. | indicative |
| Production / process | about 1.4 t (indicative) | 35% | high-pressure MBT reaction, drying, effluent treatment; coal-fired steam in China and India | Share indicative. | indicative |
| Movement | about 0.2 t (indicative) | 5% | container freight | Share indicative. | indicative |
| Use | not applicable for CO2 | – | 6PPD migrates and leaves with tyre wear particles; reacts with ozone to 6PPD-quinone | 6PPD-quinone was identified as the cause of coho salmon die-offs in urban streams (Tian et al., Science, 2021). | Tian et al., Science (2021) |
| End of life | not published | – | end-of-life tyres burned in cement kilns, pyrolysed or landfilled | Chemicals are locked in the cured rubber. | indicative |
Other environmental impacts
Salt-laden and toxic effluent from accelerator plants; aquatic toxicity of 6PPD-quinone; nitrosamines; worker sensitisation.
Levers to cut emissions
- Low-carbon steam and power at batch plants
- Cleaner MBT processes with effluent recycling
- 6PPD alternatives that do not form toxic quinones
- Longer-lasting tyres (fewer replacements)
India
India's producers run on coal-heavy grids and steam; no national footprint figure found.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6PPD replacement antiozonants | not published | not published | research stage; tyre industry consortia testing alternatives (indicative) | indicative |