Japanese chemical firm Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. and the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, have developed material crosslinking technology that enhances the toughness of synthetic rubber.
This new technology enhances the toughness of the synthetic rubber approximately six-fold by integrating a polyrotaxane into the chemical structure of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. Polyrotaxanes have a unique molecular structure that enables great material flexibility.
The technology creates what Toyoda Gosei says is a freely movable ring-shaped molecules that ease the stress and enhance the toughness and flexibility of the rubber when stretched or pressed.
The company adds that it will continue to develop this technology for various applications in rubber and plastic applications for the automotive sector.