Bridgestone develops world’s first polymer to bond rubber and resins at molecular level

Bridgestone Corporation has announced the development of the world’s first polymer to bond rubber and resins at the molecular level.

The newly developed polymer, High Strength Rubber (HSR), is a hybrid material to bond synthetic rubber components, including butadiene and isoprene, with resin components such as ethylene, at the molecular level by using Bridgestone’s proprietary novel gadolinium (Gd) catalyst.

This material can combine the pliability of rubber with the toughness of resin and has been achieved by further evolving the Gd catalyst technologies used to synthesise the polyisoprene rubber announced in December 2016.

The company says this new polymer boasts unprecedented durability with crack resistance that is over five times higher, abrasion resistance that is more than 2.5 times higher, and tensile strength more than 1.5 times higher than natural rubber.

HSR boasts levels of durability and abrasion resistance that eclipse those of natural rubber and the company says for this reason, HSR is a promising next-generation tire material with the potential to create tires that achieve the required levels of performance while using fewer materials.