On November 21 and 23, Lanxess AG hosted its first ever Rubber Days in Japan and South Korea respectively with the
aim of promoting “Green Tires” in the regions.
According to the company, more than 160 participants, experts from the industry in Tokyo, Japan attended the event themed “Innovations for Greener Mobility”. It also celebrated the 150-year anniversary of partnership between Japan and Germany at the occasion.
“Our company has been maintaining cooperative relationships with Japan for more than half of the past 150 years,” said Peter Weinmar, CEO of Lanxess in Japan, in his opening speech. “The Rubber Day here is an important step in our journey into the future. It brings us together to discuss promising rubber applications, and to better understand how the industry can point the way to a brighter future.”
Rubber Day Korea was held in Jeju on November 23 under the theme “The Greener Road to the Future”. More than 100 representatives of customer industries and associations, along with scientists and politicians attended. As in Japan, the event was also the first by Lanxess in the country. Lanxess Korea also celebrated its fifth anniversary concurrently.
According to Lanxess, forecasts indicate that around 2 billion tires will leave production lines worldwide by 2015 compared to around 1.6 billion at present, representing an increase of some 25% for the overall tire industry.
Japan and South Korea were the first countries in the world to introduce a label system that grades tires above all for their fuel efficiency and wet grip characteristics. The EU will introduce labeling in 2012, while other countries like Brazil, the US and China are expected to follow in the coming years.
Neodymium polybutadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) is used in the treads and sidewalls of “Green Tires”. As the company introduces, it is highly resistant to abrasion that makes the tires more durable and safer, while the tread compound of “Green Tires”, styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR), helps to reduce rolling resistance and improve grip.
Lanxess also showcased its premium synthetic rubbers for the automotive industry at both events, including Keltan Eco, the first bio-based ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) synthetic rubber in the world.
“We can demonstrate our technological leadership at the Rubber Days and increase the awareness that Lanxess is an important enabler of ‘Green Tires’,” summed up Axel C Heitmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Lanxess. “In order to meet growing customer demand, we have made the right strategic investment decisions to strengthen our global rubber capacities.”
Source : adsalecprj.com
