Isobutene - a gas for all occasions
Isobutene enhances the performance of lubricants, makes sealants effective and provides a pleasant citrus scent in dishwashing detergents - in other words, a gas for all occasions.
What is isobutene?
Isobutene (also 2-methylpropene or isobutylene) is an isomeric C4 hydrocarbon. The colorless gas can be easily liquified under pressure. Due to its reactivity and properties, this gas is a versatile and valuable basic building block in chemical syntheses.
Isobutene is a starting material to produce various polymers or end products, such as polyisobutene (PIB), butyl rubber, antioxidants or the wide range of citral applications.
What is the gas used for?
The polymer polyisobutene is based on isobutene. Polyisobutene is mainly used as a lubricant and fuel additive. Thus, for example, isobutene ensures that combustion engines run efficiently. While maintaining engine performance, this liquid gas reduces fuel consumption and harmful emissions.
Isobutene-based rubber is also used in the production of tires, hoses or adhesives and sealants. In car tires, butyl rubber is used for air-impermeable inner coatings.
Furthermore, isobutene is also an important intermediate to produce antioxidants.
Isobutene is also essential building block for citral, linalool and geraniol applications. The liquid gas gives dishwashing detergents, among others, a pleasant citrus, lavender or rose scent. Moreover, isobutene is used for vitamin A synthesis. As you can see, isobutene really is a gas for all occasions.
A few technical details
Isobutene is extracted in our C4 production network. We carefully remove by-products during the production of isobutene. Thus, we offer our customers a high-purity liquified gas with a purity of 99.9%.
Here you can find further product information (e.g. technical data sheet, MSDS, etc.) on isobutene.
Where is isobutene produced and how is the liquified gas transported?
In our state-of-the-art C4 Verbund, we process various raw material streams such as cracked C4 or FCC-C4 (Fluid Catalytic Cracking -C4) from steam crackers or refineries. Isobutene is produced at Evonik's two sites in Marl, Germany and Antwerp, Belgium, giving us additional flexibility and increasing supply security for our customers.
Isobutene is liquified for transport and therefore places high demands on logistics - safety is a top priority. We use dedicated equipment for the transports. We complement our supply chain expertise with a wide range of transport modes: deliveries can be made by road with tank trucks, by rail with tank wagons, intermodally with tank containers, and by by barges and sea-going vessels.
How can you contact us?
Michael Thol is your contact person for all matters concerning our isobutene. He will be happy to help you with any questions you may have regarding this gas. Are you interested in our product? Then simply contact Mr. Thol by e-mail, telephone or via LinkedIn.
