Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) has developed new technologies that are able to predict the characteristics and optimize the structures of rubber materials. The company is positioning these as part of Nano Balance Technology, a proprietary platform for rubber material development. To power these new technologies, Toyo Tires is employing materials informatics (MI), a field that utilizes the likes of AI...
Achilles Corp. (TYO:5142) has developed what it is calling AM-01, an eco-friendly, soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet made using biomass as part of its raw materials. The sheet has been certified with the Biomass Mark from the Japan Organics Recycling Association (JORA), and Achilles has used the material to launch sales of the world’s first biomass-based desk mat. This new...
Having identified factors behind the unpleasant odors of natural rubber, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has developed what it calls Reduced Odor Natural Rubber, a product that cuts down on this issue in a major way. To create this new product grade, Sumitomo Rubber has introduced a proprietary method for the processing of raw materials at Sumirubber Thai Eastern Corporation...
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. recently announced that it has been working with footwear brand Skechers USA Inc. to develop new footwear. Outsoles making use of Goodyear’s rubber technology are being utilized in a range of Skechers products. These outsoles incorporate various Goodyear technologies, such as a special polymer that includes renewable soybean oil. As a result, the outsoles provide...
Shimadzu Corp. (TYO:7701) has started development efforts on a genetic test kit for the novel coronavirus. As this new test kit skips the conventional step of extracting ribonucleic acid (RNA) from the sample, it will help to reduce labor and time requirements for testing. A manufacturer of testing, measuring and analytical equipment for the likes of the rubber sector, Shimadzu...
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has worked with the University of Tokyo to develop a rubber composite material that offers heat conductivity on par with that of metal. This was achieved by dispersing two kinds of carbon fiber – specifically carbon nanofiber (CNF) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) – as fillers throughout polyrotaxane, a type of...
