Sustainable additives for the rubber industry
by Joel Neilsen and Antonia Albers, Lanxess
Efforts to make rubber products more environmentally friendly (green) continue to increase. These efforts have become increasingly important to all rubber companies, large and small. Suppliers that produce rubber additives have increasingly focused efforts to provide products to the rubber industry that help meet the goal of increased sustainability. In this regard, Rhein Chemie (RCH), a business unit of Lanxess, currently has a sizeable portfolio of sustainable additives for rubber compounds, and also continues to explore the development of new products that meet the challenge of increased sustainability. This article will focus on currently available products and future products under development that will aid rubber companies in achieving the goal of more environmentally friendly products. Lanxess has two major commitments to the effort of increased sustainability: become climate neutral by 2040 and carbon neutral by 2050.