Sumitomo Rubber Develops Natural Rubber with Less Odor

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. Has announced that the company has successfully developed a new type of natural rubber that emits less odor after successfully identifying the factors that cause odor in natural rubber. Called “Reduced Odor Natural Rubber”, this new type of natural rubber emits significantly less odor.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries developed and introduced a proprietary raw material processing technique at the company’s natural rubber processing plant in Thailand. The technique works by suppressing the breakdown of odor-causing non-rubber components like lipids and proteins that are found within natural rubber in its raw material state. The tire manufacturer’s newly developed “Reduced Odor Natural Rubber” has markedly less odorachieves a significant reduction in odor. According to Sumitomo, the development of this new technique represents a major advance in tackling odor issues not only the plants where natural rubber is processed, but also at other sites like tire factories where natural rubber is handled.

The Sumitomo Rubber Group actively undertakes research and development activities with the goal of enhancing tire performance and promoting sustainability such as greater use of biomass materials and this most recent effort to modify the properties of natural rubber.

Natural rubber in particular accounts for about 30 percent of the raw materials by weight that make up a tire and hence it is important for Sumitomo to continue with its proactive efforts to find innovative solutions to the various issues related to natural rubber and its use.