Versalis, Eni's chemical company and leader in the production of polymers and elastomers, has signed with Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone), world leader in the production of tires, a strategic partnership agreement to develop a technological platform for the commercialization of guayule * in the agronomic sectors , sustainable rubber and renewable chemicals.

The partnership combines Versalis's expertise in guayule research, development of process engineering and the market of renewable-source products on a commercial scale with Bridgestone's leadership in cultivation and guayule production technology.

Thanks to the agreement, the research on guayule conducted by the two partners at a global level will be jointly managed, to achieve the goal of offering an economically sustainable technological package that will be made available to potential industrial partners interested in collaborating in the project in order to enhance to the maximum these innovative products.

Using state-of-the-art genetic technologies, the partnership will allow Versalis and Bridgestone to focus on developing proprietary and highly productive guayule varieties. The related cultivation protocols, developed in line with the terms of the agreement, will make guayule an increasingly interesting and profitable product for independent growers operating in areas suitable for this type of crop.

The process technologies applied to the processing of the guayule will be optimized at the Bridgestone Biorubber Process Research Center (BPRC) in Mesa, Arizona, in order to obtain the best performance in terms of production yield and quality.

Versalis will lead product development activities to gain value from the entire guayule rubber production process, including "non-rubber" components: for example, resins can be used in various sectors, from adhesives to wood protection, while the bagasse has achieved promising results as a raw material for the production of industrial sugars suitable for biofuels or chemical precursors.
Versalis is committed to the development of renewable chemistry with the aim of strengthening its value chain and laying the foundations for a long-term collaboration on sustainable materials with Bridgestone. The initiative is also part of Versalis' green tire activities, which include both the development of new grades in the elastomer product portfolio with improved performance and reduced fuel consumption, and the integration of “active” rubber obtained from recycled tires.

* The guayule

The guayule (Parthenium Argentatum) is a shrub native to the desert areas of northern Mexico and southwestern United States. It has proven to be a promising source of high quality natural rubber. The plant cannot be used for food, requires little water and represents an alternative source of natural rubber thanks to its hypoallergenic properties, unlike the more common Hevea rubber.

Eni - Versalis: agreement with Bridgestone for the development of research on guayule

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