1,3-Butadiene Manufacturers & Suppliers
1,3-Butadiene (CAS 106-99-0) is an essential petrochemical monomer used to produce synthetic rubber, plastics, latexes and chemical intermediates. ORBITALA helps qualified industrial buyers source stabilized material from approved manufacturers and suppliers in Europe and other international markets.
Most buyers know the product simply as butadiene. At ambient temperature it is a colorless, extremely flammable gas; in commercial supply chains, it is handled as a liquefied compressed gas and normally contains an inhibitor that helps prevent unwanted polymerization.
On paper, the requirement may look straightforward. In practice, a reliable purchase depends on the complete specification: assay, inhibitor range, water, peroxides, dimer content, quantity, delivery schedule and the capabilities of the receiving site. Production allocation and the availability of suitable transport equipment can be just as important as price.
ORBITALA OOD brings these elements together for qualified customers seeking 1,3-butadiene suppliers in Europe. Each enquiry is reviewed against the proposed source, destination, regulations, logistics plan and end use before availability is confirmed.
1,3-Butadiene Manufacturers & Suppliers - Table of Contents:
Fixed pressurized storage tank for 1,3-butadiene at a petrochemical facility, with safety labels, valves and piping.
What Is 1,3-Butadiene?
1,3-Butadiene is a conjugated diene with the molecular formula C4H6 and CAS number 106-99-0. Its two carbon-carbon double bonds make it especially useful in polymerization and copolymerization, which is why it sits at the heart of many rubber, latex and engineering-plastic value chains.
The product is gaseous under normal ambient conditions but is stored and transported industrially as a liquefied compressed gas. This requires purpose-designed pressure equipment and careful control of flammability and reactivity risks.
Purity is only one part of the buying decision. Inhibitor concentration and the levels of water, peroxides, dimers and other impurities can all influence storage stability and downstream processing. A product that meets a headline assay may still be unsuitable if the rest of its analytical profile does not match the customer's process.
Is Butadiene the Same as 1,3-Butadiene?
In industrial trade, the word butadiene almost always means 1,3-butadiene. Its systematic name is buta-1,3-diene, while older technical literature may use names such as divinyl, biethylene or vinylethylene.
There is also a 1,2-butadiene isomer, although it has far less commercial importance and behaves differently. To avoid confusion with that isomer, mixed C4 streams or butadiene-based polymers, purchase documents should state 1,3-Butadiene, CAS 106-99-0, EC 203-450-8, followed by the required grade, specification and inhibitor range.
Key Product Data
Small differences between published physical-property values are normal and usually reflect measurement conditions or rounding. The approved manufacturer specification, current Safety Data Sheet and batch Certificate of Analysis remain the controlling documents for a purchase.
Typical 1,3-Butadiene Specifications
The product data supplied to ORBITALA identifies the following commercial specification:
These are indicative supply values, not universal acceptance limits. The agreed purchase specification, sampling point, analytical methods and Certificate of Analysis govern the individual shipment.
The detailed table is also more meaningful than a simplified claim of “100% purity”. It defines a minimum assay of 99.6% and intentionally includes an inhibitor, so that is the more accurate basis for technical and contractual discussions.
Why the Inhibitor Range Matters
TBC, or 4-tert-butylcatechol, is commonly added to commercial 1,3-butadiene to inhibit polymerization during storage and transport. The right concentration depends on the grade, route, expected transit time, storage conditions and downstream process. It should be agreed in advance and confirmed in the shipment documentation.
Why Water, Peroxides and Dimer Content Matter
Water can interfere with downstream processing. Peroxides may signal oxidation and greater polymerization risk, while rising dimer content can indicate aging or unwanted reaction. Together, these values provide a more useful picture of product condition than assay alone.
How 1,3-Butadiene Is Manufactured
Most industrial 1,3-butadiene begins as part of the mixed C4 stream created when hydrocarbons are steam-cracked to make ethylene and other olefins. Specialized extraction units separate and purify the butadiene from the other C4 components.
This explains why the butadiene market is closely tied to the operating pattern of refineries, steam crackers and integrated petrochemical sites. A change in cracker feedstock, a maintenance turnaround or stronger captive demand can quickly affect merchant availability.
Some markets also use on-purpose production based on the dehydrogenation of butanes or butenes, while renewable and circular routes remain under development. Whatever the route, buyers need to compare the finished product rather than assume that two sources are interchangeable. The analytical profile, inhibitor system, documentation and process compatibility are what ultimately matter.
Main Uses of Butadiene
1,3-Butadiene is primarily consumed as a monomer for polymers and elastomers. Its main applications include:
Feedstock for Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB)
As a feedstock for Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB), 1,3-Butadiene is an essential starting material for composite solid rocket propellants and polyurethane-bonded explosive compositions. HTPB-based propellants are widely used in defense and aerospace applications.
Styrene-Butadiene Rubber
Styrene-butadiene rubber, commonly abbreviated SBR, is widely used in tires, rubber goods, footwear, belts, hoses and other products requiring abrasion resistance and controlled elasticity.
Polybutadiene Rubber
Polybutadiene rubber, or BR, is valued for resilience, low heat build-up and wear resistance. It is used extensively in tire compounds and in industrial rubber products.
Nitrile Rubber
Nitrile butadiene rubber, known as NBR, combines butadiene with acrylonitrile. It is used for seals, hoses, gaskets, gloves and other applications where resistance to oils and fuels is important.
ABS and Other Engineering Plastics
Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, or ABS, uses a butadiene-based rubber phase to improve impact resistance. ABS is used in automotive components, appliances, electrical housings, consumer products and engineered parts.
Styrene-Butadiene Latex
Styrene-butadiene latexes are used in paper coatings, carpet backing, adhesives, construction products and other formulated materials.
Chemical Intermediates
Butadiene also serves as a feedstock for selected chemical intermediates, including materials used in nylon value chains and specialty synthesis. Suitability depends on impurity profile and the downstream process specification.
1,3-Butadiene in the EU and Europe
For procurement purposes, the EU and Europe are not interchangeable. The European Union is a regulatory and customs market of 27 Member States. Europe is the wider geographic region and includes several markets that apply their own chemical, customs and transport rules.
An EU transaction will normally require attention to:
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REACH registration and supply-chain obligations.
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CLP classification, labelling and packaging requirements.
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The current Safety Data Sheet in the required language.
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Occupational exposure controls for carcinogenic and mutagenic substances.
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Dangerous-goods requirements for road, rail, sea or multimodal transport.
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Customs, tax and intra-EU movement requirements.
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Site permits, pressure-system compatibility and authorized storage.
Great Britain, Switzerland, Turkey, the Western Balkans and other European markets do not necessarily follow the same regulatory path. Any cross-border plan should identify the country of dispatch, transit route, destination and receiving entity before the supplier confirms a delivery.
The EU occupational exposure limit listed for 1,3-butadiene is 2.2 mg/m3 or 1 ppm as an eight-hour time-weighted average. National implementation and site controls may add further requirements, so the current Safety Data Sheet and a location-specific risk assessment are essential.
Regions Where 1,3-Butadiene Is Manufactured
1,3-Butadiene production follows the world's large steam-cracker networks and the industries that consume synthetic rubber and engineering plastics. Even within these regions, not every cracker has a C4 extraction unit, and not every producer releases material to the merchant market.
European Union and Wider Europe
Europe's production base is built around integrated refining and petrochemical clusters in the Benelux and Rhine-Ruhr corridors, Germany, France, Southern Europe and selected Central European hubs. Northwest Europe is particularly important because ports, pipelines, terminals, crackers and derivative plants operate as an interconnected network.
That concentration does not guarantee constant supply. Cracker economics, feedstock choices, plant turnarounds and demand from local rubber or polymer producers all affect the volume available to third parties. Buyers should distinguish between installed capacity, merchant availability and a firm allocation for the required delivery period.
North America
North American production is centered on large refining and petrochemical complexes, especially along the United States Gulf Coast. These sites supply major tire, elastomer, polymer and chemical-intermediate industries, with availability moving alongside cracker operating rates and feedstock economics.
East and Southeast Asia
China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Southeast Asia account for a major share of global production and consumption. Large olefin complexes sit close to extensive tire, synthetic-rubber, ABS and polymer manufacturing capacity.
Middle East
Large integrated petrochemical complexes have expanded the Middle East's role in C4 and downstream value chains. The amount available for export still depends on extraction capacity, captive derivative demand and shipping strategy.
Taiwan
Taiwan has a substantial domestic 1,3-butadiene manufacturing base linked to naphtha cracking and C4 extraction. CPC operates butadiene extraction units at its Linyuan Petrochemical Plant and reports annual capacity of 158,000 metric tons, while Formosa Petrochemical produces butadiene within the integrated Mailiao complex. These plants support Taiwan's synthetic-rubber, ABS and other downstream industries. Buyers assessing 1,3-butadiene manufacturers in Taiwan should still confirm the exact producing site, specification and export allocation, because domestic derivative demand, cracker operating rates and scheduled turnarounds can limit merchant availability.
Singapore
Singapore's production is concentrated on Jurong Island, where PCS operates an integrated olefins and C4 system serving pipeline customers and regional markets. PCS identifies butadiene among its products and reports total nameplate capacity of 160,000 tonnes per year. The island's storage, pipeline, berth and chemical-logistics infrastructure supports local consumption and exports across Southeast Asia. For international buyers, however, available volume depends on plant operations, existing customer commitments and suitable pressure transport, so capacity should not be treated as a standing offer.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's production is centered in the Jubail petrochemical cluster. SABIC markets 1,3-butadiene, and the Petrokemya complex includes a butadiene extraction unit integrated with downstream materials such as synthetic rubber and ABS. The country's scale in cracking and polymers makes it an important Middle Eastern source, but buyers should separate installed production capacity from exportable merchant volume. The producing entity, batch specification, inhibitor level, confirmed allocation and delivery route should all be verified before a Saudi source is treated as deliverable.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is a major refining, petrochemical, storage and trading center, particularly around Ruwais and Jebel Ali. Public product information from the main UAE operators emphasizes naphtha, propylene and polyolefins and does not clearly identify a large dedicated merchant 1,3-butadiene extraction unit. Accordingly, offers described as 1,3-butadiene from the UAE may involve imported, stored or redistributed product rather than UAE manufacture. Buyers should verify the actual manufacturer and country of origin, together with the approved specification, inhibitor range, regulatory documents and transport plan.
Other Producing Regions
Additional production and recovery capacity exists in other industrialized markets. Origin matters, but it should be weighed alongside specification compliance, transit time, regulatory eligibility, storage and continuity of supply.
Selecting 1,3-Butadiene Manufacturers
A familiar company name is not enough. The right 1,3-butadiene manufacturer is the one that can consistently deliver the agreed grade, document it and support the proposed route to the buyer's site.
The evaluation should cover six practical points:
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Identity and specification: confirmation of CAS number, assay, inhibitor system and impurity limits.
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Production experience: demonstrated control of C4 recovery, separation or the relevant on-purpose route.
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Quality management: traceable testing, calibrated methods, deviation control and formal batch release.
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Stabilization: a defined inhibitor, target concentration and analytical method.
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Regulatory readiness: documentation that supports the importer, distributor and downstream user, including EU REACH and CLP requirements where applicable.
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Deliverability: a firm allocation, realistic schedule and suitable logistics rather than an indicative volume that has not been secured.
Selecting Butadiene Suppliers in Europe
A credible butadiene supplier in Europe does more than pass along a commercial quotation. The supplier must connect the buyer's specification to an approved source, secure suitable transport equipment and make sure the receiving plan is workable.
Before appointment, check the proposed manufacturer and country of origin, an approved specification, a recent representative Certificate of Analysis and a current Safety Data Sheet. The offer should also state the confirmed quantity, delivery window, Incoterms and responsibility for customs or transit formalities. For EU deliveries, the supplier must be able to support the relevant REACH and CLP documentation.
Logistics experience matters just as much. The supplier and carrier need suitable equipment, dangerous-goods competence, emergency contacts and a clear understanding of the receiving site's connections, storage capacity and unloading restrictions. A low unit price offers little value if the shipment cannot be accepted safely or on time.
Quality Control and Batch Documentation
The quality plan should be settled before material is allocated or loaded. At a minimum, it normally covers substance identity, assay, TBC, water, peroxides and dimer content. Additional hydrocarbon impurities can be added where the downstream process is sensitive to them.
Good documentation ties the analytical results to a specific batch, storage tank or shipment. This may include the Certificate of Analysis, loading and seal records, quantity documentation and, when agreed, a Certificate of Conformity or independent inspection report.
The sampling point deserves particular attention. A production sample, storage-tank sample, loading sample and discharge sample do not necessarily describe the product at the same moment. The contract should state which sample controls acceptance and which analytical methods will be used, especially for inhibitor, water, peroxide and dimer results.
Stabilization, Storage and Handling
1,3-Butadiene is extremely flammable, forms hazardous mixtures with air and may polymerize if stabilization or storage conditions are inadequate. It is therefore handled in closed systems using engineered pressure equipment, ignition control, ventilation, monitoring and site procedures developed by competent specialists.
Before ordering, the buyer should confirm the inhibitor requirement, permitted temperature and pressure range, compatibility of tanks and transfer lines, and the monitoring needed during storage. The receiving site also needs appropriate isolation, gas detection, grounding, fire protection and emergency procedures.
These details must come from the current Safety Data Sheet, supplier documentation and the site's own process-safety assessment. A general product page cannot define safe operating conditions for a particular installation.
Transport and Regulatory Compliance
The International Chemical Safety Card lists stabilized 1,3-butadiene under UN 1010, hazard class 2.1. The exact shipping name, tank instruction, filling conditions and modal requirements still need to be confirmed for the supplied product and route.
In practice, an international movement may involve approved pressure equipment, dangerous-goods declarations, carrier acceptance, routing and terminal approvals, emergency information and customs documents. The responsible logistics parties must also apply the relevant ADR, RID, IMDG or other modal rules.
For an EU sale, transport compliance sits alongside the substance's harmonized hazard classification, REACH duties, CLP communication and workplace controls for carcinogens and mutagens. This is an industrial product and is not intended for supply to the general public.
The European Butadiene Supply Chain
Europe's butadiene supply chain runs from steam crackers and C4 extraction units through terminals, derivative plants and specialized carriers. It is well developed, but the links are tightly connected: an outage at one site, a shortage of suitable tanks or stronger captive demand can reduce merchant supply elsewhere.
Feedstock choices, maintenance schedules, energy costs, automotive demand, import economics and port or rail availability all shape the market. Stabilization requirements and transit time can narrow the practical delivery options even when product is available at origin.
Long-term buyers often benefit from sharing forecasts, reserving delivery windows and agreeing in advance how alternative sources will be approved. A backup source is useful only after it has passed the required technical and quality review.
Information Required for a Quotation
A useful enquiry should state more than the quantity and destination. Please include:
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The product name, CAS number and specification revision.
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Required assay, inhibitor range and limits for water, peroxides, dimer and any critical impurities.
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Quantity, forecast and requested delivery dates.
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Destination, consignee, final end user and industrial application.
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Preferred transport configuration, receiving capacity and unloading restrictions.
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Required certificates, inspection, Incoterms and regulatory documentation.
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Import status and any restrictions on manufacturer or country of origin.
With this information, the supplier can check technical conformity, availability and logistics before issuing a meaningful quotation. A request that asks only for a “butadiene price” leaves too many variables unresolved.
How ORBITALA Supports Qualified Buyers
ORBITALA OOD works with qualified industrial customers sourcing specialty chemicals and petrochemical intermediates across international supply chains.
For a 1,3-butadiene project, ORBITALA reviews the specification, identifies suitable sources and aligns the assay, inhibitor and impurity requirements with the proposed producer. The team also coordinates commercial and quality documents, transport equipment, dangerous-goods logistics, customs or transit requirements and communication between the buyer, producer, inspector and carrier.
The objective is a supply route that works technically as well as commercially. Availability is confirmed only after the source, allocation, destination and logistics have been checked against the customer's requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Request Information About 1,3-Butadiene
Qualified industrial organizations seeking 1,3-butadiene, butadiene suppliers in Europe or access to approved 1,3-butadiene manufacturers in the EU are welcome to contact ORBITALA OOD.
Send the specification, quantity, destination, end user, application, requested schedule and receiving details. ORBITALA will then assess whether a suitable source and workable delivery route can be developed.