Michelin and partners inaugurate biobased butadiene demo unit

In Bassens, France, Michelin, IFPEN and Axens have inaugurated the first industrial-scale demonstration plant for production of bio-based butadiene.

Located at a Michelin facility, the plant was built within the framework of the BioButterfly project and was supported by the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management. The BioButterfly project aims to develop and commercialize butadiene from biobased ethanol for use in elastomers.

Currently, 40% of petroleum-based butadiene is used to produce elastomers for the tire market. The other 60% is primarily used to produce varnish, resin, ABS plastic, nylon for automobile applications, textiles and in construction. These applications offer additional potential markets for bio-based butadiene.

The demonstration plant will validate each stage in the manufacturing process of biobased butadiene to prove technological and economic viability. The unit’s capacity is between 20 and 30 metric tons per year.