Japan’s Tosoh Corporation says it has strengthened the production system for its latest Skyprene SG Series composite-grade chloroprene rubber (CR). The SG Series incorporates biomass-derived cellulose nanofibre (CNF).
The SG Series’ incorporation of biomass-derived CNF reduces the amount of fossil fuel–based rubber reinforcing agents needed for its manufacture, it adds.
This, in turn, is expected to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions in making the product.
Production and sales of the SG Series began in March 2024 at the CR manufacturing plant of Tosoh’s Nanyo Complex in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Modifications to that plant have strengthened its production for the SG Series in anticipation of heightened demand for this environmentally conscious product. They have also made possible the product’s manufacture in lot sizes equivalent to existing grades.
The Skyprene SG Series exemplifies Tosoh’s continued efforts to develop enhanced products and to promote their adoption by a broad range of industries and accelerate the social implementation of eco-conscious products.
Chloroprene rubber (CR) has robust, well-balanced mechanical properties and excellent resistance to weather, ozone, oil, chemical, and flame. CR therefore has wide-ranging applications, including for automotive parts, such as transmission belts; various industrial rubber products; cables; sponges; adhesives; gloves; and more.
Cellulose nanofibre (CNF) is an advanced material produced by refining plant-derived cellulose to the nanometer scale. CNF is lightweight yet extremely strong. This new material’s effectiveness in minimising the need for limited resources in product manufacture is drawing attention in Japan and worldwide.