Voronezh, September 17 - Neftegaz.RU. SIBUR’s Voronezh site will boost the output of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) used in road construction, roof coating production and other industries by 50 ktpa. The project has been approved by Russia’s General Board of State Expert Review (Glavgosexpertiza) and the company’s Investment Committee.
One of TPE’s key application areas is the production of polymer-bitumen binders (PBBs), which are part of the road pavement’s top layer. PBBs help to extend time between repairs and the life of pavement from 3–4 years to 7–10 years, while also improving its crack, heat, shear, water and cold resistance.
Other benefits include cutting maintenance expenses almost by half, increasing the road’s surface life some 2.5 times, improving traffic safety and, ultimately, expanding road capacity – all due to fewer repairs. With the current TPE output of 85 ktpa, Voronezhsintezkauchuk’s design capacity is set to increase to 135 ktpa.
At present, foundation construction for the production units is underway. The production will boast cutting-edge technologies in line with the best global practices, including in the area of environmental protection. The project's general designer is NIPIgaspererabotka.
SIBUR also continues decommissioning of aged equipment and facilities. The Voronezh site has lately discontinued latex production and reduced the number of rubber production lines, using the vacated space to install new high-tech equipment and set up advanced eco-friendly production.
On top of that, the site operates its own water treatment facilities with a design capacity of 35,000 cmpd. Currently, they treat 18,000 m3 of water per day, which makes them fully fit to serve the site’s upcoming ramped up capacities.
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