Yokohama taps AI for ‘chemical visualisation’ of rubber aging

Tokyo – Yokohama Rubber Co. (YRC) has developed a chemical-reaction visualisation technology that can help advance rubber-metal adhesion and ageing.

The technology combines “cutting-edge measurement” processes and AI to ‘visualise’ adhesive-aging reaction mechanisms between rubber and steel cords in tires.

Developed in partnership with Japanese academic and technology institutes*, the new technique can help reduce adhesive aging and “significantly increase” durability of tires, added YRC's 6 Nov announcement.

Elaborating on the significance of the process, YRC explained that rubber and steel cord are glued together to create a steel belt, which increases the rigidity of the tread in radial tires.

During the process, the surface of the steel cord is plated with brass, which enables sulphur in the rubber and the copper in the brass to bond the elastomer and steel cord.

Using SPring-8's large synchrotron radiation facility, YRC said the researchers observed the aging process of an adhesive model in which about 1,000 brass particles were added to rubber.

Measurement data was obtained on the state of copper-diffusion and chemical reactions when adhesive aging occurred in 802 out of 1,000 pieces.

With further analysis of the data, using AI machine learning, the research team found that the copper was “diffused into the rubber”.

The observation also led to the discovery that the copper “changes in five ways”, said YRC without further elaborating.

YRC expects to use the results of this research to control adhesive aging reactions, and to develop material formulations and new materials that are resistant to aging.

*The research was carried out in collaboration with Nagoya University Yui Laboratory, Japanese research institute RIKEN, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Dam Laboratory, and Spring8 high-intensity photon science research centre.