Lehigh launches new butyl rubber extenders
US-based green materials company Lehigh Technologies has introduced two new butyl based micronised rubber powders. These products, MicroDyne and PolyDyne, are aimed at tyre and rubber industry customers wishing to reduce butyl rubber expenses while increasing their products’ sustainability.
Lehigh says its butyl products stretch the butyl compound’s usage, helping manufacturers manage costs without sacrificing performance. “To help the tyre industry continue its environmental efforts, we must look at continuing the development of sustainable rubber materials. With that goal in mind, we have successfully incorporated butyl rubber into our production environment and the Lehigh Application and Development team has developed formulation protocols to optimise the use of micronised rubber powders in compounds,” said Kedar Murthy, vice-president and general manager of Lehigh Technologies Tire and Industrial Rubber business. “Our sustainable powders help the tyre industry better manage costs by replacing high cost, non-renewable virgin materials and provide a green solution that doesn’t compromise quality.”
According to Lehigh, its Application & Development team works with tyre companies around the globe to incorporate Butyl powder into Halobutyl or other Butyl compounds. In 2008, for example, the company began working with Yokohama Rubber; earlier this year Hirohisa Hazama, corporate officer for the Japanese manufacturer, commented: “We have been working closely with Lehigh for three years and continue to be impressed with their technology leadership in upcycling post-consumer tyre rubber into high performance, reusable materials.”
Lehigh Technologies also recently launched its ‘Road to One Billion Campaign’. The goal of this is to put one billion tyres manufactured using Lehigh’s sustainable micronised rubber material on the road. Lehigh says it hopes this campaign “catalyses an industry-wide effort to increase the environmental contributions of the industry through the use of innovative, sustainable materials.” The campaign also aligns with targets aimed at reducing the consumption of oil in the production of new tyres. The goal for the Road to One Billion Campaign is to work with tyre manufacturers who are committed to sustainable tyre manufacturing in order to further reduce the carbon footprint of a tyre.
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