Japanese tyre/rubber company Bridgestone Corporation says it has successfully developed the world’s first polymer to bond rubber and resins at a molecular level. This new polymer is said to boast what Bridgestone says is “unprecedented durability with crack resistance that is over five times higher,abrasion resistance that is more than 2.5 times higher, and tensile strength that is more than 1.5 times higher than natural rubber (NR)”, which itself has higher destruction resistance than common synthetic rubber.
The newly developed polymer, called High Strength Rubber (HSR), is a hybrid material to bond synthetic rubber components such as butadiene and isoprene, with resin components such as ethylene, at the molecular level by using Bridgestone’s proprietary novel gadolinium (Gd) catalyst (via copolymerisation). As a result, this next-generation material is able to combine the pliability of rubber with the toughness of resin. This breakthrough was achieved by further evolving the Gd catalyst technologies used to synthesise the polyisoprene rubber that was announced in December 2016.
HSR boasts levels of durability and abrasion resistance that eclipse those of NR, the firm says. “For this reason, HSR is a promising next-generation tyre material with the potential to create tyres that achieve the required levels of performance while using less materials” says Bridgestone, adding that HSR “will be a powerful asset for the accomplishment of the goal of working towards 100% sustainable materials set for 2050 in the Bridgestone Group’s Long-term Environmental Vision.”
Bridgestone also intends to actively examine the possibility of utilising HSR in products other than tyres.
As the world’s largest tyre and rubber company, Bridgestone says it will continue working to balance its operations with the earth’s capacity and contribute to the realisation of a sustainable society as it strives to address the various needs of its customers.