Bridgestone to tap ‘next-gen’ synchrotron for rubber R&D

Tokyo – Bridgestone has set up a new research unit in Sendai City, Miyagi to access the NanoTerasu synchrotron radiation facility, under-construction in Japan.

Set for operation later this year, the ‘next-generation’ synchrotron is being developed by Tohoku University, explained a December Bridgestone announcement.

The tires & rubber products maker said it aims to use the facility to generate 'big data' and gain new insights into the behaviour of rubber materials.

A Bridgestone R&D team will be based at the ‘Green Cross Tech Research Centre’ established by the university to tap the capabilities of the NanoTerasu.

The unit carries out practical research that combines science and engineering with advanced technologies such as data science and IT.

Bridgestone aims to combine its expertise in rubber materials science with Tohoku University's strengths in measurement and computational science.

“We are working to create a data-driven development platform and build fundamental technologies that will continue to efficiently create innovative materials,” it stated.

This, the group continued, will enable the development of materials with advanced performance in areas such as wear-resistance, fuel-efficiency and recycling.

Similarly, Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) last November established a research base in Sendai City to focus on the nano-scale analysis of rubber materials.

In particular, SRI said it aimed to tap the capabilities of NanoTerasu to research on the “extremely complex structure” of rubber components, from the nanoscale to the microscale. (ERJ report)