Tokyo - Bridgestone Corp. has claimed a breakthrough in creating synthetic isoprene rubber (IR) through “precise molecular structure control” utilising a proprietary polymerisation catalyst developed by the company.
Bridgestone claims NR-beating isoprene rubber
The new IR can also be created using isoprene derived from renewable biomass, said the Japanese tire & rubber company, anticipating that it could be offered as a sustainable material.
Bridgestone said it will continue to evaluate the IR for market applications and will work on securing a stable supply of isoprene towards achieving commercialisation in the 2020s.
