HANOVER, Germany—Natural rubber plus EPDM equals more sustainable for Continental A.G.
The automotive supplier has designed a new compound for its Tough RuNR air springs for commercial vehicles that relies on natural rubber as a replacement for synthetic rubber. When EPDM is added to the compound with the natural rubber, the auto supplier said, the rubber compound's carbon footprint is reduced by as much as 50 percent when compared to conventional air springs.
But there's more.
Because while the move is more sustainable, it also allowed Continental's air springs to demonstrate the best of both worlds when it came to temperature resistant conditions.
Previously air springs makers had to choose between natural rubber—which allowed the product to withstand very cold climates—or chloroprene rubber, which was more suitable to higher temperatures, ozone conditions and UV light.
With NR and EPDM, there is no choosing. The air springs made with the new compound show an ability to withstand both extreme hot and cold climates.
"Tough RuNR not only demonstrates our ability to make products greener, but it also shows how we make use of the evolution toward more sustainable materials to accelerate our constant search for improvements to both our products and our customers' applications," Marc Leinemann, head of the air springs product platform, said in a statement.
In other words, chalk those successes up to Continental doing Continental things.
"At Continental we have answers to the questions everybody asks when it comes to sustainable components," Kevin Borck, Continental's head of marketing and strategy for industrial solutions in Europe, Middle East and Africa, said in a statement. "We have the material competence, the experience and a clear view of what makes sense economically in order to continually improve product carbon-footprints."
That vision for greater sustainability will be showcased in September during the IAA Transportation expo in Hanover, when the Tough RuNR is introduced. But it won't be the only product or capability in the spotlight. The team on site will showcase plans for the use of more recycled, renewable and bio-based materials.
