China is testing whether a premium rubber can win a place in electric-vehicle tires. Rare-earth cis-butadiene rubber, made with a rare-earth catalyst, now has a Xinjiang plant rated at 100,000 metric tons a year, about 110,000 U.S. tons. It also trades at a higher price than conventional synthetic rubber.
China Rubber Industry Association data published Nov. 2 quoted rare-earth grade ND9106 at 22,500 yuan (about US$3,400) per metric ton during Oct. 26 to Nov. 1. Conventional BR9000 in Shandong province was quoted at 16,660 yuan per metric ton, so the rare-earth grade carried a premium of about 35%.
For tire makers, the rubber offers better wear resistance, greater strength and lower rolling resistance, and wider domestic production could make it more widely available.
A production unit at Dushanzi Petrochemical Company in Karamay, Xinjiang, completed a successful trial run on June 27, producing premium-grade rare-earth cis-butadiene rubber. The Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry announced the result July 16.
The institute called the achievement a “major breakthrough” and said the core technologies are “fully under domestic control.” It said the project would help meet “urgent demand for high-end grades,” support the petrochemical new-materials industry and help “safeguard supply-chain security.”
The process makes two national-standard grades, BR1240 and BR1260, which differ in Mooney viscosity, a standard measure of rubber viscosity and processability. The rubber is made by polymerizing butadiene with a rare-earth catalyst, which helps control the polymer’s molecular structure and, in turn, its mechanical properties.
Electric cars tend to be heavier than comparable gasoline vehicles and deliver high torque during acceleration, which places greater demands on tire durability.
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