World’s First Tire Cord from Eco-friendly Adhesive and Recycled Polyester
Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fibers and products converting company, announced today that it has developed an eco-friendly tire cord made from an adhesive that does not contain resorcinol formaldehyde (RF), which is harmful to the human body and the environment, and also incorporates a low-environmental impact chemically recycled polyester fiber for rubber reinforcement. According to the company, this is the world’s first commercialization of a tire cord that combines an RF-free adhesive and a chemically recycled polyester fiber.
Teijin Frontier’s new tire cord Teijin Frontier will now begin to develop reinforcing-fiber applications for various rubber products, including tire cords, belts, hoses and other diverse uses. The company will start test production of its new tire cord in 2023, targeting annual production of 200,000 tons by 2030.
Teijin Frontier, guided by its THINK ECO® environmental initiative, is striving to improve its environmental value by developing greener materials and products for applications ranging from clothing to industrial materials. The new tire cord is a result of the company’s increasing emphasis on low-environmental impact solutions.
Thanks to its use of an adhesive polymer compound instead of RF, the new tire cord reduces the environmental impact of adhesive processing. In addition, due to its strong affinity with fibers and rubber, its adhesion performance is equivalent to that of conventional resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex (RFL) adhesives. Also, its chemically
recycled fibers, which are made from polymers produced with chemical recycling method, maintain their strength, fatigue resistance, dimensional stability and heat resistance.
Compared to conventional tire cords made from petroleum-derived polyester fiber, the new tire cord achieves the same levels of quality and performance in addition to reducing CO2 emissions during production.
The demand for more eco-friendly tires is growing due to rising environmental awareness.
In response, Teijin Frontier has been actively developing eco-friendly materials and products for tires as well as other rubber products. In 2008, it launched the world’s first tire cord incorporating chemically recycled polyester fiber, and in March 2020 the company introduced an eco-friendly rubber-reinforced fiber cord that does not contain RF.
The newly developed tire cord was exhibited at the International Tire Exhibition and Conference, one of North America’s largest tire-related exhibitions and conferences, in Akron, Ohio from September 13 to 15.
Teijin Frontier showcased following technologies fully aligned with their environmental strategy, THINK ECO®
Chemical Recycled Polyester “ECOPET”
Tire cords require strength, elasticity, adhesion to rubber, fatigue resistance, dimensional stability and heat resistance at a high level of standard. The conventional recycled materials were unable to meet the strict requirements for tire reinforcement due to lower mechanical properties. Teijin Frontier has established advanced recycling technologies that chemically decompose polyester for conversion into raw material. The recycled material offers the equivalent purity of products derived from petroleum and therefore can achieve the performance levels required for tire cords.
We have developed a new environmentally friendly adhesive for rubber reinforcing fiber that does not use resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) but still achieves the same level of performance as conventional methods. Resorcinol-formaldehyde latex (RFL) adhesives have long been used to reinforce rubber products, such as tires, hoses and belts, with fiber to maintain strength and morphological stability. In recent years, however, demands have been growing for solutions that do not use RF, which has been shown to have harmful effects on the human body. The new adhesive consists of the polymer which is effective for the adhesion, as the alternative to RF. The polymer, which is reticulated by intermolecular interaction, achieves a high level of adhesiveness, equivalent to that of an RFL adhesive thanks to its high affinity for both fiber and rubber.
Ultra fine polyester chopped fiber “Nanofront™”
We have developed ultra fine polyester chopped fiber “Nanofront™” of Island & Sea type for rubber mixing by our spinning technology. It realizes a good dispersion in rubber matrix by only heat mixing, and brings both high modulus and durability by small amount applied to reinforce rubber products, such as tires, hoses and belts. Nanofront™ reinforcing fiber can be made in low Carbon Foot Print (CFP) process and without adhesive treatment. We would like to propose our excellent solution for environmental oriented manufacturing process.
About the Teijin Group
Teijin (TSE: 3401) is a technology-driven global group offering advanced solutions in the fields of environmental value; safety, security and disaster mitigation; and demographic change and increased health consciousness. Originally established as Japan’s first rayon manufacturer in 1918, Teijin has evolved into a unique enterprise encompassing three core business domains: high-performance materials including aramid, carbon fibers and composites, and also resin and plastic processing, films, polyester fibers and products converting; healthcare including pharmaceuticals and home healthcare equipment for bone/joint, respiratory and cardiovascular/metabolic diseases, nursing care and pre-symptomatic healthcare; and IT including B2B solutions for medical, corporate and public systems as well as packaged software and B2C online services for digital entertainment. Deeply committed to its stakeholders, as expressed in the brand statement “Human Chemistry, Human Solutions,” Teijin aims to be a company that supports the society of the future. The group comprises some 170 companies and employs some 20,000 people across 20 countries worldwide. Teijin posted consolidated sales of JPY 926.1 billion (USD 7.2 billion) and total assets of JPY 1,207.6 billion (USD 9.4 billion) in the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2022.
Teijin Frontier’s new tire cord Teijin Frontier will now begin to develop reinforcing-fiber applications for various rubber products, including tire cords, belts, hoses and other diverse uses. The company will start test production of its new tire cord in 2023, targeting annual production of 200,000 tons by 2030.
Thanks to its use of an adhesive polymer compound instead of RF, the new tire cord reduces the environmental impact of adhesive processing. In addition, due to its strong affinity with fibers and rubber, its adhesion performance is equivalent to that of conventional resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex (RFL) adhesives. Also, its chemically
