Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4063) recently announced that it has developed the TC-BGI Series – a silicone rubber sheet made to serve as a thermal interface in electric vehicle (EV) parts, which are continuing to trend toward higher voltage. The new product takes the form of a hard, thermal-interface silicone rubber sheet that combines good levels of voltage resistance and...
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) announced last year that – working in conjunction with Kansai University – it had developed an energy harvester capable of generating power from a tire’s rotation and then supplying it to a sensor fitted in the tire’s periphery, all without the need for a battery. Now the tire manufacturer has taken its efforts here one...
New findings from a collaborative research project involving Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) could lead to an improved supply of natural rubber. Working in collaboration here with Tohoku University, Kanazawa University and the Riken SPring-8 Center, Sumitomo Rubber has managed to elucidate the structure and modify the functionality of cis-prenyltransferase NDPS1, a tomato-derived enzyme with a structure similar to that...
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) and Microwave Chemical Co. Ltd. have launched a project for the joint development of a process that produces hydrogen by pyrolyzing methane through the use of microwaves. Aims here are to begin commercial production in the early 2030s, with sights set on a production capacity of tens of thousands of tons per year. Aims through...
Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) has established a new division for the pursuit of carbon neutrality. As the trend toward carbon neutrality speeds up around the world, the major rubber auto parts manufacturer intends to reduce its in-house greenhouse gas emissions – including those of CO2 – by 30 percent over fiscal 2018–2030. Aims are to then reach carbon neutrality...
Rubber manufacturer Asahi Rubber Inc. has worked with a partner to develop silicone rubber with cup-stacked carbon nanotubes (CSCNTs) dispersed throughout, creating a material that combines high conductivity with optimal hardness. Following a long period of demonstration testing, the new material is set to be used in auto parts that remain usable even under harsh outdoor conditions, and will start...
