Plan to Produce guayule Rubber in Southern Europe

Italian elastomer firm Versalis and guayule biomass specialist Yulex Corp. have announced the formation of a strategic partnership to manufacture guayule-based biorubber materials.

Within the partnership, the companies will launch an industrial-scale production complex in Southern Europe.

According to Yulex, the partnership agreement will cover the entire manufacturing chain from crop science to biorubber extraction to the construction of a biomass power station.

Versalis will manufacture materials for various applications: after an initial focus on consumer and medical specialty markets, the target is to optimize the process to reach the tire industry. The partnership will leverage Yulex’s core competencies, including crop science and biorubber extraction technologies, to boost Versalis’ bio-based portfolio. The investment will include a research project to develop technologies targeting the tire industry.



Guayule is a renewable, non-food crop that requires little water usage, no pesticides and it is an alternative source of natural rubber because – unlike hevea rubber – the latex produced from guayule is allergy friendly.

Versalis plans to expand its synthetic rubber business by including guayule rubber as a supplementary business opportunity and an increased commercial offering.

“The partnership with Yulex is strategic to Versalis, considering concerns over the forecasted scarcity in the butadiene market and volatility of this chemical, which in turn causes long term pressure on the price of products like synthetic rubber,” said Versalis CEO Daniele Ferrari. “Partnering with Yulex represents our commitment and momentum towards entering the global market as a major green chemistry player. All of our green chemistry partnerships aim to enhance Versalis’ bio-based portfolio and will feed oil-based production chains with high-performance intermediates from renewable feedstocks, in particular in the elastomers business.”



Yulex first made tire industry headlines in February 2012 when Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. announced it had entered into a partnership with Yulex with a view towards producing a hevea rubber alternative in North America. Under this deal, Cooper agreed to provide advanced polymer and materials science expertise and utilize its design, development and testing capabilities as part of this project. Yulex would contribute experience with the development and production of advanced engineered biopolymers from the guayule plant. 

In July 2012, Cooper and Yulex received a $6.9 million grant for research into the guayule plant. The grant covers a four year period and is intended for research focused on developing enhanced manufacturing processes, testing and utilizing guayule natural rubber for use in tires, and evaluating the remaining guayule plant biomass as a source of bio-fuel for the transportation industry.