Teijin develops new eco-friendly tire cord

TOKYO—Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd., the Teijin Group's fibers and products converting company, has developed an "eco-friendly" tire cord made from an adhesive that does not contain resorcinol formaldehyde (RF).

Designed for rubber reinforcement, the cord also delivers low environmental impact through incorporating chemically recycled polyester fiber, the company said in in a Sept. 12 statement.

According to the company, this is the world's first commercialization of a tire cord material that combines an RF-free adhesive and a chemically recycled polyester fiber.

Teijin Frontier said it would start test production of the product in 2023, targeting annual production of 200,000 metric tons per year (200 ktpa) by 2030.

The company will also begin work on developing reinforcing-fiber applications for other rubber products, including belts and hoses.

According to Teijin Frontier, the new tire cord offers the same adhesion performance as that of conventional RF latex adhesives.

The fibers, which are made from polymers produced via chemical recycling, "maintain their strength, fatigue resistance, dimensional stability and heat resistance," the company said.