Synthos, like most suppliers in the industry, works closely with its customer base when developing new materials and technology. Its Sprintan 851 solution SBR that was first commercialized last year, is proof of that.
The firm said its new oil-extended SSBR offers improved mechanical properties, particularly high tensile strength and elongation at break, indicating excellent wear resistance. Synthos added that Sprintan 851 enables excellent wet grip performance with low rolling resistance and good processing properties compared to other SSBR's in the market.
Wohlfahrt said the new material isn't necessarily a big leap forward, but rather the logical next step.
"I would say it's not a full breakthrough to a completely different material, because we already see that there are a lot of highly functionalized grades in the market already, but we take the balance and also especially the wear properties to the next level," he said.
"And as we've seen in the discussion with our customers, the focus has been shifting very dramatically ... from rolling resistance toward tire abrasion."
Much of that is because of the requirement for tires equipping electric vehicles, but also because of the upcoming Euro 7 legislation in Europe, that will for the first time cover tire wear particles.
In anticipation of this legislation, he said tire makers have shifted their development focus and material requirements, but at the same time won't sacrifice rolling resistance and grip properties.
"That is why we're very happy about the properties of Sprintan 851, and the very good feedback from the market," Wohlfahrt said.
Matteo Marchisio, Synthos vice president in charge of its synthetic rubber business, said the firm is pleased to see how active European car makers are in pushing to get sustainable components for their vehicles.
"Eventually it turns into tires and into synthetic rubber," he said. "I don't think these days there is anything more important from a strategic standpoint than supporting our customers to let them achieve their targets by 2050."
Marjolein Groeneweg, Synthos global marketing director for synthetic rubber, said when looking at innovation, there are three pathways.
It starts with performance, including looking at rolling resistance and durability. The second is composition, when Synthos studies using either bio-based or circular materials. And the third, she said, is known internally as "enable."
"When we talk 'enable,' what we are actually doing is we're designing our products—in this case particularly functionalized SSBR—in such a way that we influence the interaction with other components in the end tire compound," Groeneweg said as a panelist on an Aug. 22 Rubber News Live webcast on sustainability.
"These three different steps—especially the enable—creates a lot of value as well because although we are not adding circular contents or fillers that are bio-based or lower environmental footprint, we are helping our customers do that."
When looking at bio-based products, she said, it's important to be cognizant of what is and isn't possible.
"Ultimately we would love rubber to be like polystyrene, which is infinitely recyclable," Groeneweg said. "That is not the case with synthetic rubber. We know that.
"So where we see specifically bio-based play a role is when we are going through recycling looks—specifically chemical recycling. With chemical recycling, at the end, there is material loss. And that's where we believe there is a space; we need to fill it up. It's virgin material and that's where we believe there is an important place for bio-based products."