Butadiene (1,3-Butadiene)

TBC-inhibited 1,3-butadiene by the semi-refrigerated gas-carrier parcel

1,3-butadiene (HS 2901.24) is extracted from the crude C4 stream of steam crackers and bought by synthetic rubber plants (SBR and polybutadiene for tyres), ABS and SB latex producers and adiponitrile and nylon makers. Commercial cargoes are specified at 99.5% minimum and are inhibited with tertiary-butylcatechol (TBC), typically at 50-150 ppm, because butadiene polymerises on its own. The main hazard in storage and transport is popcorn polymer, which forms in liquid or vapour in the presence of rust, oxygen and reactive monomer, grows with heat and pressure and can plug relief valves; butadiene also forms peroxides with oxygen, so tanks are purged before loading. It is UN 1010, butadienes, stabilized, Class 2.1. Under the IGC Code butadiene is a 2G/2PG cargo, flammable and toxic, and Shell's cargo handling sheet puts the pre-load oxygen content below 0.2%. The IGC Code requires a certificate from the manufacturer for inhibited cargoes giving the inhibitor name and amount, the date added, its expected lifetime and any temperature limits, and the voyage must fit inside that lifetime. Semi-refrigerated gas carriers of 1,500-30,000 m³ carry most parcels. UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 2901.24 are led by Korea at USD 419 million and 0.31 million MT, the Netherlands at USD 260 million and 0.29 million MT, Germany at USD 225 million, India at USD 198 million, Singapore at USD 197 million, China at USD 188 million, Malaysia at USD 187 million and 0.24 million MT, Brazil at USD 142 million, the USA at USD 116 million and Belgium at USD 110 million.

The buyer is a rubber, ABS, latex or nylon-intermediate plant with pressurised or refrigerated butadiene storage, or a trader balancing a cracker outage. Pricing is per MT against ICIS or Platts butadiene assessments and regional contract prices, CFR the discharge region or FOB the load terminal. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers butadiene against the producer's certificate of analysis, the inhibitor certificate, SGS or Intertek inspection at load, the safety data sheet and a certificate of origin, with a named load terminal and a named receiving terminal; the gas carrier is chartered through our shipbroking desk, LaycanDesk (laycandesk.com/chartering/lpg-lng-gas-carrier). Send the purity, parcel size, receiving terminal and delivery window.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.