YOKOHAMA's Technology
Development of biomass-derived synthetic rubber that will contribute to the circular economy and carbon neutrality
Sustainability
Synthetic rubbers, such as butadiene rubber, which are used in tires and other rubber products, are largely made from petroleum. To achieve carbon neutrality and the usage of 100% sustainable raw material by 2050, Yokohama Rubber is pursuing the development of technologies using renewable resources* to produce butadiene from plant-derived biomass (biological resources), such as ethanol and sugar.
*This initiative aligns with one of the themes of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization's Green Innovation Fund Projects.
Using catalytic reactions to synthesize butadiene from ethanol
Using catalytic reactions to convert ethanol to butadiene is a technique that has been around for over 100 years , but its usage has been hindered by many issues, including the low efficiency of converting ethanol and the difficulty of producing butadiene only. In a joint research project with Zeon Corporation and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Yokohama Rubber is endeavoring to develop highly active catalysts by utilizing high-throughput catalyst preparation equipment and evaluation equipment that enable us to conduct experiments with a vast number of conditions that would be difficult to conduct manually.
Our participation in this project has resulted in the development of a racing tire using biomass-derived butadiene rubber, which was obtained by polymerizing a large amount of butadiene synthesized using a highly active catalyst . A vehicle equipped with this tire finished second in the Exhibition Division at the 2023 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the United States.
Here at Yokohama Rubber, we will continue to evaluate the on-vehicle performance of tires made using biomass-derived synthetic rubber as we aim to improve resource recycling and tire performance. Furthermore, we will develop more efficient catalysts and processes that will facilitate the widespread use of biomass-derived synthetic rubber synthesized from ethanol by 2030.
Synthesis of butadiene from sugars using a biofermentation method
A natural metabolic pathway for butadiene biosynthesis has yet to be discovered, and the bioproduction of substances using organisms such as plants and microorganisms has not been achieved with butadiene. A joint research project with Zeon Corporation and RIKEN led to the development of an enzyme that facilitates the production of butadiene by modifying its genetic properties. We also constructed a new butadiene synthesis pathway within the metabolic pathway of microorganisms. The use of computer simulations enabled us to optimize the enzyme design and increase its activity more than 2,000 times.
The production of butadiene using a fermentation method is the first in the world, and we have advanced to the stage where butadiene obtained by this method is polymerized into butadiene rubber. We are now working to create a more perfect technology by improving the productivity of the biofermentation method and increasing the scale of the microbial culture.
