Producer
Braskem S.A.
Braskem S.A. (Sao Paulo Brazil; NYSE: BAK; B3: BRKM5; ~BRL 100B revenue; majority owned by Novonor/Odebrecht and Petrobras) is the largest PP producer in the Americas by volume and South America's only significant meltblown-grade PP supplier. Braskem's Delta-S series PP resins include high-MFR grades suitable for meltblown nonwoven fabric production. Braskem's PP production comes from petrochemical crackers integrated with Petrobras refineries across São Paulo, Bahia, and Rio Grande do Sul states. Braskem serves Latin American N95 mask and hygiene nonwoven manufacturers — the Brazilian government's domestic face mask production during COVID relied partly on Braskem PP supply. Braskem entered into a structured operating agreement with Petrobras following liquidity pressures in 2023. Meltblown PP capacity at Braskem is estimated at 80,000-120,000 tonnes/year across relevant grades.
3
Inputs supplied
3
Goods downstream
2
Facilities
0
Stories
What they make
3 inputs Braskem S.A. supplies
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Where it shows up
Goods downstream
Essential goods that depend on something Braskem S.A. makes — pick one to see the full supply chain.
Where they make it
2 facilities
Braskem -- Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul (LDPE) →
BRTriunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil · chemical_plant
Braskem LDPE production at Triunfo, RS; southern Brazil petrochemical pole (Polo Petroquímico de Triunfo). Conventional (fossil-based) LDPE production. Braskem is Latin America's largest thermoplastic resin company. Also produces bio-based polyethylene (green PE) at Camaçari, Bahia from sugarcane-derived ethylene.
Braskem Green Polyethylene Plant, Camaçari →
BRCamaçari, Bahia, Brazil · processing_plant
World's first commercial bio-based polyethylene (I'm Green™ PE) plant; converts sugarcane ethanol → ethylene → PE; 200,000 t/yr capacity; bio-PE is chemically identical to fossil PE (fully recyclable in existing streams) but commands 20-40% premium for sustainability-certified applications; launched 2010
What else they do
Business segments
The company's full revenue map — where this supply-chain role fits within their broader business.
Polyolefins (PP & PE)
65%Basic Petrochemicals
25%Biopolymers (I am GreenTM)
5%Vinyls (PVC & Chlor-Alkali)
5%
Intelligence
What's known
Sourced claims about this company's role in supply chains — chokepoints, concentration, incidents, dual-use connections.
Did you know2024
Braskem (Brazil) produces "I'm green" bio-polyethylene (including LDPE) from sugarcane ethanol -- a fully renewable version of conventional LDPE with identical chemical structure and properties. Sugarcane ethanol is dehydrated to produce biobased ethylene, which is then polymerized using the same high-pressure LDPE process. The bio-LDPE is indistinguishable from fossil LDPE by testing. Several major consumer goods companies (P&G, Johnson & Johnson, Natura) have adopted Braskem green PE for packaging. A sugarcane field in Brazil's São Paulo state is the starting point for the same LDPE in a Pantene bottle.
Braskem S.A. ↗Substitution2022
Braskem makes a plastic bag from sugarcane that is chemically identical to fossil PE — and fully recyclable in the same bins — yet commands a 20-40% premium because it has a carbon-negative origin Braskem's I'm Green™ bio-polyethylene, launched commercially in 2010, is produced from sugarcane ethanol: sugarcane fermented to ethanol → ethanol dehydrated to bio-ethylene → polymerized to PE. The result is a polymer with identical molecular structure, processing properties, and recyclability to fossil PE — indistinguishable in a recycling stream. Life cycle analysis shows bio-PE sequesters ~2.15 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne produced (vs ~1.9 tonnes emitted by fossil PE). The 200,000 t/yr Camaçari plant supplies bio-PE for premium packaging and bags marketed by P&G, Nestlé, and others seeking scope 3 emissions reductions. At 200,000 t/yr, bio-PE is <0.1% of global PE production — a premium niche rather than a systemic substitute.
Braskem S.A. ↗