USD 10 million investment in Gevo- Step toward securing alternative raw material supply
- Strengthening of ‘Green Chemistry’ activities
Leverkusen – LANXESS, the world’s largest producer of synthetic rubber, has invested in U.S. biofuel & biochemical company Gevo, Inc. as part of a proposed cooperation to produce isobutene from renewable resources. The companies aim to find an alternative route to source isobutene – a key raw material needed in the manufacturing of butyl rubber.
Isobutene is conventionally produced in steam crackers, which use petroleum derivatives as a feedstock. Alternatively, Gevo is developing a fermentation process to produce the organic compound isobutanol from the fermentable sugars in biomass, starting with corn. Isobutanol is a fundamental building block for making biodiesel, bio jet fuel as well as plastics, rubber and fibers.
