Raw Materials
Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it will sell Bridgestone (Huizhou) Synthetic Rubber Co., Ltd., its China-based subsidiary for manufacturing synthetic car tyre rubber, to Taiwan’s LCY Chemical Corp. The company has not disclosed financial aspects of the transaction.
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. has announced that it will increase the dealer base prices across all tyre categories by up to 8.5 per cent from 1 August 2021. The tyre maker comments that the price increase “is a result of continued increases in raw materials and logistics costs.”
Yokohama Off-Highway Tires has announced further price increases for its brands in Europe. These will take effect next month and see prices for Alliance and Galaxy tyres rise by around five per cent. The manufacturer says this increase comes at a time when the costs of raw materials and freight rates “continue to rise at a dramatic pace on the global commodity markets.”
Birla Carbon will increase prices on all products produced in the Americas by US$170 per metric tonne effective 1 July 2021. All shipments made on or after this date are subject to the price increase. Birla Carbon’s announcement follows a 97 euros per metric tonne EMEA price increase published on 24 May and effective 1 June 2021.
Evonik Industries has developed a new, active filler for the tyre industry that significantly improves the traction of winter tyres in snowy and slushy conditions, thereby increasing safety. Ultrasil 4000 GR is the first Low Surface Area (LSA) silica that also offers very good dispersibility. This enables very high filler levels in the tyre tread, further improving traction compared to tyres using conventional silica.
Continental is extending its commitment to sustainability in the natural rubber supply chain. The tyre maker and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) have agreed to significantly expand their project to ensure full traceability within the natural rubber supply chain in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan (Borneo).
Every year, 1.6 billion car tyres are sold worldwide in total. The PET fibres used in these tyres represent 800,000 tonnes of PET per year. With regards to Michelin alone, this represents nearly 3 billion plastic bottles annually. That’s why the France-based global tyre maker has been looking for ways that bottles can be recycled into technical fibres for use in the company’s tyres. Now, the company has validated that Carbios’s enzymatic process does exactly that, giving Michelin a step forward in its sustainability plans. Indeed, Michelin describes the development as “a major step towards developing 100 per cent sustainable tyres. Michelin has successfully tested and applied”. Michelin is committed to achieving 40 per cent sustainable materials (of renewable or recycled origin) by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050.
Upstream suppliers to the tyre manufacturing industry Nynas, Cabot and Evonik have received some of the top ratings in the 2021 EcoVadis auditing process. Specifically, these three firms all ranked in the top 1 per cent of their peers, earning platinum status. Meanwhile, carbon black supplier Birla Carbon received the EcoVadis’ gold accreditation.
Birla Carbon has appointed Dr Ann Schoeb as chief research and development officer. Dr Schoeb will have full responsibility for research and development work at Birla Carbon and will join the company’s senior management team. She reports to John Loudermilk, chief operating officer.
Eni’s chemical company Versalis and Bridgestone EMIA are jointly developing raw materials for high performance tyres following an agreement between the firms to collaborate. Versalis, a leader in the production and marketing of elastomers, had previously formed a strategic partnership in North America. Developing this relationship in the EMIA region, the two companies will research, production and supply of synthetic rubber with advanced properties.
Kumho Tire Co., South Korea’s second-largest tire maker, said Tuesday it will sell its natural rubber processing plant in Vietnam to focus on its core business. According to an official statement published on 23 March 2021, Kumho Tire said it has struck a deal with a joint venture between Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and Thanh Cong Group of Vietnam to sell its rubber factory.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has presented the “next evolution” of its proprietary Advanced 4D Nano Design materials development technology. The manufacturer of the Falken and (outside Europe) Dunlop tyre brands also reports it is utilising supercomputer technology to accelerate its work on materials simulation.
Carbios
EcoVadis