A new proprietary process toimprove fuel economy of tires
At K 2016, this company is introducing a newly developed technology for the production of functionalized solution rubbers. The application of this new technology to both styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR) and functionalized butadiene rubber — in particular neodymium-catalyzed butadiene rubber (Nd-BR) — increases the interaction with fillers, helping to improve the dynamic properties of tire tread compounds. As the filler becomes more easily dispersed into the compound, a more elastic network is built up. This reduces the rolling resistance and thus improves the fuel economy of the tire. In some cases, traction properties can also be enhanced. The new functionalized solution rubbers offer immediate benefits to the tire industry. However, in the longer term, they can be adopted for use in other applications where excellent dynamic properties are required, for example in conveyor belting and anti-vibration applications. Hall 6, Stand C78 —Arlanxeo Deutschland GmbH, Dormagen, Germany