KIYOSU, Japan—Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. has established material technology for rubber that readily regains its shape after force has been applied for long times at high temperatures.
The firm said the tradeoff for rubber with strong elasticity is that it becomes stiff. The difficulty in assembly of such rubber is a problem when used for sealing parts. Toyoda Gosei said it has optimized the rubber mix design with a new selection of chemicals that contribute to heat resistance. It's new rubber material formulation technology makes rubber twice as likely to regain its shape while also allowing it to stretch four times the original shape.
Toyoda Gosei said the technology promises to contribute to sealing parts that are thinner, lighter and have longer lives for use in batter units and other parts of next generation vehicles. It was honored at the 71st Rubber Technology Advancement Awards sponsored by the Society of Rubber Science and Technology in Japan.
Based in Kiyosu, Toyoda Gosei produces rubber and plastic automotive parts and LEDs with about 100 manufacturing plants and offices in 18 countries.