SIBUR advances heat-resistant polyethylene development in Kazan

SIBUR has produced PE-RT samples for classification testing at Kazanorgsintez. Planned grade capacity and earlier plant upgrades cover distinct production scopes.

PE-RT samples enter classification testing

SIBUR has begun developing heat-resistant polyethylene production at Kazanorgsintez in Kazan. Samples of PE-RT, polyethylene with raised temperature resistance, have been produced and submitted for classification testing. The company expects the results in the first quarter of 2026. Its envisaged annual capacity of around 9,000 tonnes concerns this grade, with potential coverage of 95% of Russian demand for heat-resistant polyethylene, according to SIBUR's estimate.

SIBUR identifies the material as suitable for pipe systems used in:

Hot and cold water supply and heating.
Underfloor heating, soil heating and snow-melting systems.

The company says PE-RT can be fused and processed without molecular crosslinking, allowing standard extrusion equipment, unlike cross-linked PEX. The development forms part of its polymer import-substitution program, which produced more than 25 new polymer products in 2024.

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Earlier modernization of the Kazan site

On 16 December 2024, Kazanorgsintez announced completion of an upgrade to reactor B, one of three high-density polyethylene production lines. Design capacity increased from 100,000 to 220,000 tonnes annually, following investment exceeding RUB 8 billion. After modernization of all three lines, their combined design capacity reached 660,000 tonnes per year, a 20% increase. Achieving those design figures remains dependent on adapting the grade mix and increasing feedstock supplies.

The project was completed during scheduled maintenance, without stopping the main production operation. Kazan's Soyuzkhimpromproekt institute served as general designer, with reconstruction supported by Kazanorgsintez's internal expertise and Russian contractors including Servistekhmontazh. Separately, SIBUR was constructing an ethylene pipeline from Nizhnekamsk to Kazan, intended to increase annual transfers from 200,000 to 500,000 tonnes. These broader feedstock and HDPE figures have different scopes from the new PE-RT grade's proposed capacity.

Typical Kazan riverside landscape — Typical Kazan waterfront

Polyethylene supply for pipe manufacturers

SIBUR's pipe-material activities also include a supply partnership with Gazprom Mezhregiongaz announced on 9 June 2022. The company estimated that producing pipes required for the gasification program would use around 100,000 tonnes of polyethylene annually. It reported supplying both polyethylene and finished pipes manufactured at Kazanorgsintez.

Giproniigaz prepared a feasibility study for SIBUR on using special polyethylene grades in single-layer and multilayer pipes. This earlier work covered gas-distribution infrastructure.