Eastman scientists speaking on enhancing productivity, tyre longevity at ITEC 2018

Three Eastman scientists will discuss using insoluble sulphur to improve manufacturing productivity, the relationship between resin chemistry and tyre performance, and innovative solutions to maintain steel cord adhesion at the International Tire Exhibition and Conference (ITEC) in Akron, Ohio, 11-13 September 2018.

“Tyre manufacturers are looking for ways to differentiate their tyres’ performance and build operational savings into their process to help them maintain a competitive edge. Our technical presentations at ITEC explore innovative technologies that address these issues,” says Dr Brock Thomas, director of Tire Additives Technology for Eastman.

Dr. Yating Mao, Application Research Scientist, will give a presentation titled “Solubility of Resin in Rubber and Subsequent Impact on Compound Performance.” Because measuring resin solubility in rubber compounds is labor and time intensive, Dr. Mao developed and compared several techniques to determine the best approach. During her talk, Dr. Mao will discuss her work as well as the relationship between resin solubility in rubber, resin properties, and ultimate tire performance.

Dr. Jonathan Penney, Group Leader for Crystex Applications, will discuss productivity improvements and operational cost savings enabled by Eastman Crystex Cure Pro insoluble sulphur. His presentation is titled “Crystex Cure Pro Insoluble Sulfur: The Next Generation of Insoluble Sulfur.” Dr. Penney will discuss the technology innovations found in Crystex Cure Pro that enable it to uniquely deliver productivity and sustainability benefits to tire plant operators.  During his talk, Dr. Penney will review plant-scale experiments using thermal imaging techniques and detailed vulcanizate physical property evaluations that have shown mixing and calendering efficiency improvements of 10-25% in optimized processes using Crystex Cure Pro.

Dr. Sepideh Niknezhad, Advanced Application Research Scientist, will give a presentation titled “Duralink HTS as Brass Coated Steel Cord Adhesion Promoter.” In light of recent challenges related to the use of cobalt salts for steel cord adhesion, tyre makers are looking for innovative solutions to maintain excellent steel cord adhesion while moving formulations away from cobalt salts. During her presentation, Dr. Niknezhad will discuss how bis-bunte salts such as Duralink HTS mix, activate, and react during cure in different compound formulations. She’ll also examine how the mechanism of action in Duralink HTS impacts compound properties such as steel cord adhesion, reversion resistance, and tear strength.