3 Jun 2025
Project yields first sustainable rubber product for office equipment; potential tire applications under review
Kobe, Japan – Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has developed rubber rollers for office automation (OA) equipment using CO2-recycled artificial limestone.
Developed in collaboration with Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., the new product uses a synthetic rubber compound in which the conventional limestone filler is replaced with artificial limestone.
The aritifical limestone captures and stores CO2 emitted from cement manufacturing through 'mineralising' it with calcium sources from waste.
The rollers are used in printers and copiers to transport paper and transfer images and text, said SRI 28 May.
The rollers, according to SRI, offer equivalent performance to conventional products.
In terms of environmental advantages, the artificial limestone used in the roller 'fixes', i.e. captures and stores, 420g of CO2 per kilogramme.
If applied across all OA equipment rollers produced by SRI, it could reduce emissions by around 36 tonnes annually.
The product will also address the serious shortage of landfill space in Japan by reusing calcium-containing waste.
Looking ahead, SRI said it intends to employ the material at a mass production level and expand its application to tire products.
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