Naugard Bio-XL bio-sourced rubber curing ultra-accelerator for tire and technical rubber goods applications
by John Kounavis, Nancy Winchester, Joachim Kiesekamp and Ken Lauffer, SI Group
As the rubber industry moves toward its 2030 and 2050 sustainability objectives, it will need raw material suppliers to innovate in support of this effort. One of the principal challenges for these suppliers is delivering new materials that address environmental, health and safety (EHS) and sustainability needs without sacrificing performance. Suppliers are stepping up to the challenge as evidenced by the significant number of technical papers and new product launches oriented toward this sustainability and performance goal.
Some products offered to the tire industry involve replacing existing technology with a renewable source-derived substitute. Tire companies themselves are also innovating new sustainable tire materials, such as the new sources of latex rubber under development by Continental and Bridgestone. Replacing reactive products, such as antioxidants, antiozonants and accelerators, may be considered more challenging, as this task involves inventing a new molecule versus replicating an existing structure with a renewable raw material source. The vulcanization process is a particularly challenging area for creating sustainable alternatives, since the reactivity of this chemical system is critical both to the manufacturing needs and to the performance of the rubber system.