Hayakawa Rubber Co. Ltd. has developed a primer that enables the adhesion-based repair of conventional thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) sheets, which are used as a rooftop waterproofing material in large buildings such as factories, warehouses and commercial facilities. The company has then also started selling a new rooftop waterproofing method in the form of a soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheet using...
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Sumitomo Rubber Plans August Launch for SUV Winter Tire With Strong Ice Performance
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) has announced plans for an Aug. 1 launch of the Winter Maxx SJ8+, a new studless winter tire for SUVs. The tire is set to come in 54 sizes, marking an increase of 16 from its predecessor, the Winter Maxx SJ8. The Winter Maxx SJ8+ employs the nano-texturing technology previously used in the Winter Maxx...
Kato Sansho, Ichinen Chemicals Develop New Additive to Increase Biomass Content of PE, PP
Raw materials trading firm Kato Sansho Co. Ltd. has worked with Ichinen Chemicals Co. Ltd. to develop One Bio, a series of biomass additives derived from plants. One Bio B-001 is an 80 percent plant-derived additive that can be simply mixed with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) – materials that make up around half of Japan’s plastics market – to...
Michelin Japan to Reissue 4×4 Classic Car Tire
Nihon Michelin Tire Co. Ltd. has announced a July 15 relaunch for the X M+S 244, an all-wheel drive tire for classic cars. In addition to its off-road performance, the X M+S 244 offers excellent handling, stability and wear resistance on regular roads. It was first launched in 1990. The reissued tire retains its original appearance, but comes with improved...
Bridgestone Invests in Self-Driving Truck Operator Kodiak
Bridgestone Americas Inc. announced on June 16 that it has made a minority investment in Kodiak Robotics Inc., a U.S. company engaged in developing self-driving technology for long-haul trucks. Kodiak currently provides customers in Texas with long-haul truck services based on Level 4 self-driving technology, which allows for an advanced level of automation while retaining a safety driver on board....
Asahi Kasei Leans on Next-Gen Offerings in Pursuit of Further Growth for S-SBR Products
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) saw operations slump for its solution-polymerized styrene–butadiene rubber (S-SBR) and butadiene rubber (BR) last fiscal year, with COVID-19 making its impact felt on the sector. Both of these products, however, started to show a significant sales recovery starting last summer. On the back of this recovery, Asahi Kasei’s aim coming into fiscal 2021 has been to...