Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205) needs to quickly find and master new solution styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR) technology in order to develop a distinctive position, says President Kimiaki Tanaka. Sitting down recently for an interview, Tanaka said that with Zeon and Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) having agreed to merge their S-SBR operations under a new joint venture, we will see a...
innovation
Bridgestone Develops Next-Gen Polyisoprene, Potential to Outperform Natural Rubber
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO: 5108) announced on Dec. 13 that it has successfully synthesized a next-generation polyisoprene rubber (IR). The material features a narrowly controlled molecular structure and uses the company’s proprietary new gadolinium (Gd) polymerization catalyst. The new catalyst enables industrial applications for which conventional Gd catalysts have so far been unsuitable. Although IR is the synthetic rubber most closely...
Bridgestone Studies High-strength Materials for Tires, Releases Findings
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced findings from research into high-strength material that would lead to resource-saving tires. The research was part of an R&D program within iMPACT (Importing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies Program), a project for furthering innovations in R&D that is being led by the Japanese Cabinet Office’s Council for Science, Technology and Innovation. The R&D program is...
Toyox Develops Tetrafluororesin Hoses for Chemical and Food Applications
Toyox Co. Ltd., a major manufacturer of resin hoses, will launch its Toyofusso S Hose line of fluorine hoses for chemical and food applications along with its Toyoconnector TC3-SS couplings, especially designed for the company’s Toyosilicone Hose line of heat resistant hoses for food applications. To date, Toyox has sold its Toyofusso Hose products for applications involving fluids such as...