Akron rubber cluster wins $51m sustainability award

Akron, Ohio – A rubber-focused industry cluster in Akron has won a $51-million federal investment award to advance tire and rubber projects in Ohio.

The award - part of Tech Hub Phase 2 initiative to support technology hubs - was given to Polymer Industry Cluster, and will be matched by a $7 million partner investment, to bring the total to $58 million.

The award will fund studies into commercialising recycling end-of-life tires and the development of "sustainable polymer composites" via liquid phase mixing, said Greater Akron Chamber, which started the cluster three years ago.

Other projects include manufacturing “sustainable bio-based butadiene” for green synthetic rubber; advancing formulation of carbon nanotube-based polymer composites; and development of “safer antidegradants” for tires and plastics.

The cluster includes a broad group of industry players including Full Circle Technologies, Goodyear, BioVerde, Huntsman, Flexsys, Bridgestone, Continental, Parker Hannifin, Synthomer, and Promerus.

In addition to driving new technologies, funding will also be used to advance a number of workforce development initiatives with educational institutions, said the chamber’s statement.

The aim, it said, is to expand the region’s sustainability talent pipeline at all skill levels and facilitate placement into good jobs.