The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Visolis have announced a collaboration project to produce isoprene through the upcycling of biobased materials. Isoprene is used as a raw material in synthetic rubber, typically generated as a by-product from refining crude oil. Visolis’ technology will produce high-quality isoprene from lignocellulosic feedstocks, which are non-edible biomass and agricultural materials.
To advance its sustainable material use, Goodyear conducts research to investigate new alternative raw materials and innovative solutions that meet the company’s high standards of quality and safety. Goodyear unveiled a 90 percent sustainable-material demonstration tire earlier this year and plans to sell a tire with up to 70 percent sustainable materials this year, working with its supply base.
The Visolis and Goodyear collaboration will explore the reduction potential of Visolis’ process by conducting carbon footprint analysis. This is a significant step towards reducing the carbon footprint of tire manufacturing. Goodyear seeks sustainable material options that meet its high standards of quality and safety while delivering product performance. The collaboration with Visolis allows Goodyear to leverage Visolis’ technology to produce high-quality isoprene from non-edible biomass and agricultural materials, which aligns with their sustainable material strategy.