SABIC Partners with Kraton

SABIC partners with Kraton on certified renewable butadiene for production of certified renewable styrenic block copolymers SABIC announced a new partnership whereby it will supply certified renewable butadiene from its SABIC TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio for use in Kraton's certified renewable styrenic block copolymers (SBC). Kraton operates as a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value bio-based products derived from pine wood pulp by-products. This partnership forms part of SABIC's 2025 strategy, which includes a Sustainable Development Goals roadmap addressing 10 targets spanning the organization's entire value chain and helping drive meaningful sustainable change. SABIC's certified renewable butadiene is derived from "second generation" renewable feedstocks including tall oil and animal and palm oil-free materials, a by-product of the pulping process in the paper industry. This feedstock does not compete directly with sources for human food and animal feed production. According to cradle-to-gate life cycle analysis, from the sourcing of raw materials through polymer production, each kilogram of the company's bio-based butadiene reduces CO2 emissions by an average of 4 kilograms compared to fossil-based virgin alternatives. Additionally, each ton of butadiene also reduces fossil depletion by up to 80 percent. Mohammed Al-Zahrani, Vice President, SABIC Chemicals: "At SABIC, sustainability is embedded throughout our organization and goes hand in hand with our commitment to help our customers and their customers achieve their own sustainability targets. Developing more sustainable solutions requires partnerships across the value chain. Our partnership with Kraton on certified renewable butadiene as a feedstock for Kraton's polymers is another example of working together in line with our shared goals and confirms the chemical industry's strong interest in developing sustainable solutions for the future. Following earlier successes in developing certified renewable and circular ethylene, propylene and benzene, we are pleased to add certified renewable butadiene to our TRUCIRCLE portfolio" he said.

Circular economy

SABIC's certified renewable butadiene will be used in Kraton's newly launched ISCC PLUS certified renewable CirKular+™ ReNew Series, designed to advance circular economy. The ReNew Series, with up to 70 percent certified renewable content, offers customers the opportunity to adopt the mass balance approach and embrace ISCC PLUS certification to produce renewable products. Kraton successfully produced CirKular+ ReNew Series Hydrogenated Styrenic Block Copolymers (HSBC) using SABIC's renewable butadiene at its Berre facility earlier this year. Holger Jung, Senior Vice President and Head of Polymer Segment at Kraton, stated: "Kraton's purpose is to enable the bioeconomy and play a role in advancing the circular economy. Value chain collaboration is effective in enabling progress toward a circular economy. Kraton is excited to partner with SABIC on certified renewable butadiene, enabling us to develop and produce styrenic block copolymers with up to 70 percent certified renewable raw material content. As this can help reduce the carbon footprint of fossil-based HSBC produced at our Berre plant by up to 65 percent, this is an exciting innovation for our customers" he said. International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification is a globally recognized system that ensures traceability of recycled and renewable-based materials in complex supply chains by following predefined and transparent rules. SABIC's TRUCIRCLE portfolio encompasses design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from raw material recycling of used plastics, certified renewable products from bio-based feedstocks and closed-loop initiatives to recycle plastic into high-quality applications, helping prevent valuable used plastics from becoming waste.