ExxonMobil Expands Halobutyl Capacity to Meet Tyre Demand

A major capacity expansion at ExxonMobil Chemical’s halobutyl manufacturing facility in Texas, USA has recently been completed, the company announced. The capacity expansion was carried out, says ExxonMobil Chemical, in keeping with its commitment to help meet growing demand for halobutyl rubber. By adding equipment and modifying existing facilities, the Baytown plant has increased its capacity to produce Bromobutyl rubber (brominated butyl rubber) by 60 per cent.

“ExxonMobil Chemical continues to invest in halobutyl manufacturing at our facilities worldwide. In the Baytown complex alone, our project investment has exceeded $400 million since 2000,” said Art Sullivan, vice president of ExxonMobil Chemical’s Butyl Polymers Business. “This further demonstrates our continued global supply commitment to customers in the tyre industry, supported by more than 70 years of experience in butyl rubber research and development and product know-how.”

The ability of halobutyl to be vulcanised with other rubbers, along with its unique properties, such as low air permeability, high heat resistance, and excellent flex cracking resistance makes it valuable in tyre inner liner applications. Since halobutyl retains air far better than other elastomers, more than 80 per cent of the rubber in most premium-grade tyre inner liners is halobutyl.

Since 1995, ExxonMobil Chemical has more than doubled its global halobutyl capacity.