Bridgestone’s Susym is “world’s first” rubber-resin copolymer material

Tokyo-based Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) has developed the world’s first polymer material that bonds rubbers and resin. Susym – a combination of the words “sustain,” “symphony” and “symbiosis” – has many advanced properties that is expected to establish the product as a “next-generation tyre material. ”Susym, due to the flexibility of rubber and durability of resin, is capable of enhancing the various types of performance required in tyres while using fewer resources to maintain it.

The material’s high-strength rubber boasts exceptional levels of durability and resistance alongside high levels of performance associated with resins. In addition to being puncture-resistant when strong forces are applied, holes can be easily repaired using heat.The material still maintains the flexibility of rubber even at low temperatures, as opposed to conventional rubber, thereby being suited to low-temperature applications.

As a result, Bridgestone anticipates Susym’s use in various applications other than high-strength rubber and tyre materials and expects much from its recyclability and reparability features.

“These features make Susym highly applicable to various fields other than tyres, and it is thus, a revolutionary new material capable of achieving ‘symbiosis’ with our society,” the Bridgestone statement said.

Meanwhile, Bridgestone claims it will move forward with research and development on the application of the technology through close collaboration with a range of companies and organisations.

The company most recently exhibited a concept tyre featuring Susym functions during the Tokyo Motor Show 2019.