A collaboration between Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and sustainable tech company Visolis has been announced for the production of the organic compound isoprene through upcycling of biobased materials.
Isoprene is an important precursor for some types of synthetic rubber and is typically generated as a by-product from refining crude oil. Isoprene units are polymerized into long chains using a catalyst to produce polyisoprene, which is used as a raw material in manufacturing tires and other items.
Supported by a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant awarded to Visolis earlier this year, the collaboration will leverage Visolis’s technology to produce high-quality isoprene from lignocellulosic feedstocks– which are non-edible biomass and agricultural materials.
Visolis conducted an initial carbon footprint analysis to explore the reduction potential of its process and will continue to evaluate reductions further as part of their project with Goodyear.
“We are excited to collaborate with Goodyear and leverage our revolutionary technology to transform waste materials into valuable monomers,” said Dr Deepak Dugar, CEO of Visolis.
“This partnership is a testament to our shared commitment to sustainable practices and the development of advanced materials that drive positive change.”
