Top 10 Rubber technologies - BACKUP

European Rubber Journal's regular update of the latest potentially significant advances in the fields of rubber materials, processing and application technologies.

Trelleborg launches REACH-compliant polyurethanes

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has launched two heat-resistant polyurethane materials that conform to new EU REACH environmental standards coming into force from November. The products, labelled Zurcon Z53 and Zurcon Z54, have been developed over a long R&D cycle to meet EU requirements regarding substances prohibited unless an exemption applies or an authorization is granted, said the company.  Read more

Harvard researchers advance self-healing rubber

MATERIALS – Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new type of rubber that is as tough as natural rubber but can also self-heal, the Harvard University school has reported. In order to make a rubber self-healable, the team needed to make the bonds connecting the polymers reversible, so that the bonds could break and reform…  Read more

LSR is a pet's next best friend

New application in the form of Poesia's Groomy-brand all-LSR hair care brushes for cats and dogs. These brushes are produced by  the group's BK Braendli AG subsidiary, which was founded in 1977 but only started LSR injection moulding in 2014...  Read more

Taking the pressure off batteries

APPLICATION – Trelleborg is helping the automotive industry mitigate battery issues inherent in stop-start systems with a small but ingenious valve seal. Stop-start vehicle systems are gaining popularity in the automotive industry for their role in increasing fuel economy and at the same time reducing environmental impact. The systems use a type of lead acid battery known as Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM), which incorporates a glass mat that absorbs and holds the acid while separating the positive and negative plates. This battery has many attributes, including long life and vibration resistance as well as being totally sealed and…   Read more

Kraiburg TPE targets adhesion, surface properties

MATERIALS –  Kraiburg TPE’s latest developments in the field of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) include advanced materials for automotive and consumer applications. New Thermolast K compounds are said to show “outstanding” adhesion to EPDM and high resistance to UV radiation and weather influences, in addition to good flow properties. The TPEs is being targeted at automotive exterior applications...   Read more

Zeon takes balanced approach to R&D

INTERVIEW -  Big innovations usually require big risks. Mike Recchio’s job is to make sure Zeon Chemicals LP takes the right risks. The firm’s vice president of corporate strategy shared his approach to research and development at the recent Rubber in Automotive Conference in Troy. He views product development like an investment portfolio—finding the right balance of safe bets, calculated risks and rewards..  Read more

Sigma advances autonomous moulding software

AUTOMATION – Sigma Engineering GmbH is introducing a new release Sigmasoft v5.2, which includes a virtual, fully autonomous optimisation. The new tool has been developed to find out the optimum design and production conditions even before the mould is built, to ensure maximum profitability and part quality. The software offering includes Sigmasoft Autonomous Optimization, which is designed to automatically find the best process set-up to meet a specific demand. This, together with a new virtual DoE functionality, a development of the Sigmasoft Virtual Molding technology for injection moulding.  Read more

TPVs to challenge rubber in medical parts

MATERIALS - Teknor Apex has developed new medical-grade thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) elastomers for injection moulded products, the company announced 27 July. The materials are said to yield O-rings, gaskets, and diaphragms with excellent long-term sealing performance. They are also claimed to cost less to process than thermoset rubber, and offer manufacturing advantages over standard TPVs and styrenic TPEs.   Read more

ContiTech lends conveyor belt expertise to German waterways

APPLICATION - The first human-made waterways in the region were probably in the provinces of the Roman Empire. Construction of the first canals in Asia and Northern Africa began during the reign of Pharaoh Necho II, who ruled from 610 to 595 B.C. In Egypt, the Nile and Mediterranean were linked to the Red Sea by a waterway that was in many ways an early geographic precursor of today’s Suez Canal. According to the geographers of antiquity...  Read more

Cooper finds guayule viable as NR/SR substitute in tires

MATERIALS — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. researchers have determined that guayule rubber is a viable substitute for natural and synthetic rubber in building tires and could start using it immediately if sufficient material was available at a reasonable price. Cooper is basing its conclusions on research it conducted over the past five years under the auspices of a $6.9 million Biomass Research and Development Initiative grant in the US...  Read more