Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office for a pilot plant project that would develop an innovative, cost-effective and potentially more sustainable method of producing butadiene from ethanol.

The project's goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and bringing the country closer to a net-zero economy convinced the DOE to award the grant. This project's objective is to evaluate the economic feasibility of producing butadiene from ethanol conversion as opposed to conversion of fossil fuels. The carbon impact of turning ethanol into butadiene will also be assessed by the project. The butadiene produced will be used by the company to investigate and validate its possible usage as a feedstock for raw materials in Bridgestone tyres.

For this study, Bridgestone has teamed up with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The project will make use of and scale a novel, proprietary catalyst system that was first created by PNNL and then further developed in collaboration with Bridgestone through research projects. The project will officially kick-off this month and is expected to run for at least three years. The first year is allocated for the designing of the pilot plant, which is expected to be materialised in Akron, Ohio, by the end of the second year. The pilot plant will be staffed and start operating in the third year.

Dr Mark Smale, Executive Director – Core Polymer Science, Bridgestone, said, “Projects like this will help advance the science and technologies necessary to make the industry more sustainable, placing our engineers and scientists at the forefront of potentially revolutionising how tyre makers obtain butadiene in a more nature-positive way. We are very excited about this project and the innovative new process, and very appreciative of the DOE’s support.”

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Scandinavian Enviro Systems AB publ has signed a letter of intent with an undisclosed partner to explore the possibility of licensing its advanced tyre pyrolysis technology for deployment in North America.

The collaboration will focus on conducting a comprehensive feasibility study to evaluate the technical and commercial viability of establishing one or multiple facilities dedicated to processing end-of-life tyres using Enviro’s proprietary method. This study is designed to provide the potential licensee with the necessary insights to assess the prospects of entering into a long-term commercial arrangement and formal technology licensing agreement.

It is important to note that any definitive agreements will depend entirely on the study's outcomes and subsequent negotiations. At this stage, there is no guarantee that the evaluation will lead to binding commitments or that the proposed transaction will ultimately materialise.

Fredrik Aaben, CEO, Scandinavian Enviro Systems, said, “We continue to see strong international interest in Enviro’s technology, and this letter of intent is yet another proof of this.”

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Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value bio-based chemicals derived from pine wood pulping co-products, a global price increase for all polymer products with effect from 1 April 2026. The price hike will range from USD 440 per MT to USD 700 per MT, or as individual contract terms permit, with the exact price change varying according to the polymer type and production location.

The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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German specialty chemicals company LANXESS has announced a global price increase for its portfolio of functional additives for the manufacture of tyres and speciality rubbers. These changes, which are set to take effect immediately or as soon as individual contract terms permit, will see prices rise by 15 to 50 percent.

The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing geopolitical conflict, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has announced a global price increase for its portfolio of speciality carbon black. These changes, which are set to take effect immediately or as soon as individual contract terms permit, will see prices rise by up to 25 percent.

In a strategic move to address persistent market volatility, the company is also implementing a variable surcharge on top of the base price increase. The driving forces behind these significant pricing actions are multifaceted, rooted in substantial disruptions to global supply chains. These disruptions are largely attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has had a cascading effect on logistics. Compounding this issue are the sharply rising costs associated with transportation and essential raw materials.

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