Raw Materials
Nokian Tyres is taking part in a research project that aims to improve the quality and yield of recycled carbon black from end-of-life tyres, with the goal of using this material more extensively in tyre and rubber products. The two-year development project is coordinated by Windspace Group A/S and co-financed by government initiative the Danish Eco-Innovation Program.
Following on from its development of agricultural tyres with 75% sustainable materials, Apollo Tyres has now achieved the same goal with passenger vehicle tyres. These tyres – an Apollo Amperion high-performance tyre for electric vehicles and an Apollo Aspire 4G+ ultra-high performance car tyre – are not commercially available at present.
Tyre cord manufacturer Xingda and Continental Group recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement at Xingda Steel Tyre Cord (Thailand) Co. Ltd. Details of what is involved in the agreement remain to be seen at this stage, but Xingda representatives report that the cooperation includes improving the supplier management services in Europe.
Arlanxeo has opened a new 65-kilotonne per annum polybutadiene (BR) production line in Brazil. Angelo Brazil, the company’s LATAM regional head, says that this “state-of-the-art BR production line” is a “direct response” to growing demand for the material in Latin America.
Synthos is closing its synthetic rubber Emulsion-SBR (ESBR) production line in the Czech Republic due to “the unsustainable market environment for ESBR due to unpredictable costs in Europe”. Synthos will cease ESBR production at its Kralupy, Czech Republic operation in the second quarter of this year.
Titan International, Inc. has reported record turnover and profitability during the 2022 financial year. While the US-based manufacturer of OTR tyres and wheels increased its net sales by 21.9% to US$2.2 billion, income from operations jumped by more than 141% to $205.8, almost doubling the return on sales to 9.5%.
In addition to unveiling a demonstration tyre containing 90% sustainable materials, Goodyear announces it will begin selling tyres with up to 70% sustainable-material content during the course of this year. No details are available at present, but Goodyear invites “consumers interested in purchasing this tyre” to register for updates at a US market-focused site.
Linglong Tire intends to have 35 per cent sustainable and renewable resources in its tyres by 2025 and 40 per cent by 2030. One source of such materials will be dandelions. The tyre maker established the Dandelion Rubber Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance in 2015, partnering with more than 20 universities, research institutes and rubber companies.
Yokohama will supply Advan racing tyres with 33 per cent sustainable material content as the control tyre for the Japanese Super Formula Championship from the 2023 season. The tyre supplier said work on the tyre for dry conditions is complete, while wet tyre development continues with a view to providing both to the series from next year. Yokohama says the tyres have demonstrated performance equivalent to that of the standard tyres used in Super Formula 2022 races.
On 8 December 2022, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that imports of emulsion styrene butadiene rubber (ESBR) from the Czech Republic were not sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV) and, consequently, no industry of the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury from them.
The International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) has named Professor Joseph Adelegan as its new secretary-general. Professor Adelegan officially took on his new role on 1 December 2022. IRSG describes Professor Adelegan as “a C-Suite Executive and an international development expert”. A Professor of Practice of Environmental Science and Engineering and a practitioner-scholar in management with over three decades of professional experience across 20 African Countries, Europe and United States, his work spans several organizations including the United Nations, development finance institutions, international organizations, government, non-governmental organizations, education, innovation and research institutions.
Asahi Kasei has invested in Circularise B.V., a start-up company based in the Netherlands that provides digital product passports and mass balance bookkeeping software. Asahi Kasei made the investment valued at a total of 11 million euros together with Brightlands Venture Partners, 4impact capital and Neste in November 2022.
Nynas has received ISCC Plus certification for its bio-based products NYTRO BIO 300X and NYTEX BIO 6200. ISCC Plus is a voluntary, globally recognised sustainability certification scheme that allows companies to demonstrate the sustainability credentials of their bio-based, bio-circular and circular materials. The certification scheme provides traceability across the value chain.
Global natural rubber production reached approximately 1.435 million tonnes during October 2022, a 3.5 per cent increase on production a year earlier. The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) reports that its members accounted for around 87 per cent of this production.
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