Goodyear and Visolis to collaborate on the production of isoprene by upcycling materials

Akron, OH – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Visolis, a pioneering sustainable technology company, announced a collaboration project between the two companies to produce isoprene through the upcycling of biobased materials. This collaboration is supported by a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant awarded to Visolis earlier this year.

Isoprene, an important precursor for some types of synthetic rubber, is a hydrocarbon that is typically generated as a by-product from
refining crude oil. Isoprene units are polymerized into long chains using a catalyst to produce polyisoprene, which is used as a raw
material in manufacturing tires and other items. The Visolis and Goodyear collaboration will leverage Visolis’ technology to produce high-quality isoprene from lignocellulosic feedstocks, which are non-edible biomass and agricultural materials. Visolis conducted an initial carbon footprint analysis to explore the
reduction potential of its process and will continue to evaluate reductions further as part of their collaboration project with Goodyear.

“We are excited to collaborate with Goodyear and leverage our
revolutionary technology to transform waste materials into valuable
monomers,” said Dr. Deepak Dugar, CEO of Visolis. “This partnership
is a testament to our shared commitment to sustainable practices
and the development of advanced materials that drive positive
change.”
“We believe that innovation and collaboration is key to making
progress along our sustainability journey and helping us achieve our
goals, including net-zero value chain emissions by 2050,” said Chris
Helsel, senior vice president, Global Operations and Chief
Technology Officer, Goodyear. “By working with companies like
Visolis, we are able to continue to learn, innovate and help build a
better future.”
Goodyear actively seeks sustainable material* options that deliver product performance while
meeting the company’s high standards of quality and safety. To advance the company’s
sustainable material use, Goodyear’s technology teams work to investigate new alternative raw
materials and incorporate innovative solutions. One example of this is the 90% sustainablematerial demonstration tire Goodyear unveiled earlier this year. Goodyear, working with its supply
base, plans to sell a tire with up to 70% sustainable materials this year.