Synthos & Kumho Tire jointly developing sustainable rubber

Kumho Tire and synthetic rubber manufacturer Synthos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the joint development of sustainable tyre raw materials. Under the MOU, the two companies will conduct a joint research and development project for Neodymium-Butadiene rubber using Bio-Butadiene and expand the use of environmentally friendly synthetic rubber in tyre manufacturing.

“We are very pleased to be selected as one of Kumho Tire’s key partners to strengthen its efforts to develop environmentally friendly tyres,” says Dr Malte Wohlfahrt, R&D director at Synthos. “We strongly believe that we have the best chance to contribute to net zero mobility if we can work together with industry leaders like Kumho Tire, who has already produced tyres made from 55 per cent sustainable raw materials in 2022 and has developed tyres made from 80 per cent sustainable raw materials this year.

“Kumho Tire’s impressive experience in developing tyres with a lower carbon footprint combined with Synthos’ extensive expertise in sustainable synthetic rubber will enable further carbon footprint reduction towards our shared goal of carbon neutrality by 2050,” Wohlfahrt adds.

Synthos, which has production facilities in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, has achieved ISCC+ certification for its entire portfolio of synthetic rubber products as part of its efforts to support tyre manufacturers reduce their environmental impact. Synthos is the largest producer of synthetic rubber and has a portfolio that includes solution styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR), emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR), high and low cis polybutadiene rubber (Nd-BR, Ni-BR and Li-BR) and recycled rubber powder.