The Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA) aims to contribute to the healthy development of the national economy and the daily lives of the Japanese people through its efforts to promote the healthy development of Japan’s rubber industry. These efforts include conducting surveys and research on production, distribution, consumption and other trends in the rubber industry, as well as surveys and research on a wide range of issues facing the rubber industry, including technology, labor, the environment, safety, and standardization, which the JRMA then uses to draw up and promote the implementation of related action plans. The JRMA consists of 121 members and associate members. Members include corporations that are engaged in the development and manufacture of rubber products. Associate members are corporations or institutions that support the activities of the JRMA. In this report, we present the current state of the Japanese and global rubber industries and then introduce the key challenges facing Japan’s rubber industry today and efforts addressing those challenges. This report also discusses the need for technology innovation for the future.

In this talk I will systematically present some important simulated results of elastomer nanocomposites (ENCs) via molecular dynamics simulation. First, we studied the dispersion and aggregation behavior of bare nanoparticles (NPs) with different geometries such as spherical, sheet-like and rod-like on the molecular scale. To model small ligands used in experiments to realize better dispersion, we investigated the dispersion of NPs end-grafted with polymer chains by varying the grafted chain length and grafting density. In addition, the effect of the middle- and end-functionalization on the dispersion of NPs is also covered. Second, we probed the translational and relaxation dynamics at the chain and segmental length scales of the interfacial regions, hoping to elucidate whether “glassy polymer layers” exist around NPs. Meanwhile, the formation mechanism of bound rubber is as well included. Third, we simulated the enhancement of the stress-strain and fracture toughness induced by NPs, providing a molecular reinforcing mechanism. Fourth, the famous “Payne effect”, namely the decrease of the storage modulus as a function of the strain amplitude was examined, uncovering the underlying reason responsible for this non-linear behavior, and meanwhile how the introduced carbon nano-springs can effectively reduce the dynamic hysteresis of ENCs is illustrated. Fifth, through simulation synthesis approach, we put forward a new and achievable approach to design and prepare a nanoparticle chemical network, with the NPs acting as “giant cross-linkers” or netpoints to chemically connect the dual end-groups of each polymer chain to form a network. We find this new network structure possesses excellent static and dynamic mechanical properties, highlighting a ultralow dynamic hysteresis loss tailored for green automobile tires. In general, computer simulation is shown to have the capability to obtain some fundamental understanding of ENCs, in hopes of providing some design principles for synthesizing and fabricating multi-functional and high performance ENCs.

Being the 4th largest producer and 2nd largest consumer of natural rubber in the world the Indian Rubber Industry has been growing in along with the strength and importance, as a part of India’s burgeoning role in the global economy. There are about 4600 registered units comprising of 30 large scale, 300 medium scale and around 4400 small scale and tiny units which form part of the colossus of the natural rubber industry in India. This shows the increased demand and production of rubber and rubber based products in India. The wide range of rubber products manufactured by the Indian rubber industry comprises of auto tyres, tubes, automobile parts, footwear, belting, hoses, cycle tyres and tubes, cables and wires, camelback, battery boxes, latex products, pharmaceutical goods, besides molded and extruded goods for mass consumption. The important areas which the industry caters to include all the three wings of defence, civil, aviation, aeronautics, railways, agriculture, transport as also textile engineering industries, pharmaceuticals, mines, steel plants, ports, family planning programmes, hospitals, sports, practically to every conceivable field. The production of these wide range of products points to the need of an effective market intelligence mechanism for the industry as well for the producers to cope up with the need of international and domestic market. In Indian Rubber Industry, the most important forms in which natural rubbers processed and marketed are Sheets, Crepes, Block Rubber and Preserved Latex Concentrates and Sheet Rubbers are designated as RSS 1, RSS 2, RSS 3, RSS 4, RSS 5 and are marketed. Block Rubber is designated in the grades of ISNR. Although the production is around 899,400 tonnes per annum the demand-supply gap is still widening on a monthly basis necessitating more imports. The major Indian Rubber Consumption is in the automotive tyre sector (50% consumption of all kinds of rubbers). The government promotes the development of the rubber industry in India, through research, services to growers and workers, manufacturing facilities, and other technical aids. Govt. of India provides funds to R&D centres to support Rubber Industries & end users to improve the quality of rubber products. The research projects include coir project for utilization of Coconut Coir / Fiber and its by-products in various rubber, Use of Electron Beam Radiations in Rubber Products especially Tyres, Belts etc, Silica modification to reduce PH –A , Reinforcing white nano fillers for environment friendly rubber. The research fields in rubber industry also aims in developing high performance nanocomposites for various applications like green tyres, inner lining of the tyres with less permeability etc. The research area in his field also includes the development of highly impermeable rubber nanocomposite for inner lining of tryes, by using natural rubber based blends like NR/SBR (styrene butadiene rubber), NR/CIIR (chlorobutyl rubber) etc for various applications and incorporating nanofillers into it for property enhancement. Latex stage compounding of micro and nano fillers and filler dispersion in rubber blends are some of the projects being done in collaboration between universities and rubber industries.

Inflation pressure loss rates (IPLR) were measured for >300 passenger car tires manufactured worldwide. Rolling resistance forces were measured and coefficients (RRC) calculated for 83 models. RRC was also measured upon decreasing inflation pressure in order to calculate the change in vehicle fuel economy with pressure loss. Current and projected data from the Exxon Mobil 2014 Energy Outlook is used for total light vehicles worldwide, and in selected countries in Asia Pacific. Using the average distances that vehicles are driven yearly and the average number of liters consumed to drive 100 kilometers, the total fuel consumed each year can be calculated. The potential fuel saved can then be calculated as a function of air loss using tire IPLR and tire reinflation at 3-month intervals. Corresponding savings in CO₂ emissions are estimated.

This paper discusses rubber in future from a view point of automobile developing. Rubber has supported the evolution of automobiles by its various functions so far. This material, however, has disadvantages an aspect of difficulty in comparison with metal and resin which are used a lot. It was the lack of standard materials and was not elucidated in most case. One of the reasons of that is that vehicle parts design was complicated. On the contrary, rubber has unknown possibilities not to be restricted by a standard. A lot of new techniques are necessary, and they need to be adapted to fit the preferences and tastes of the people for the prosperity of automobiles. Therefore, the future automobile depends on new functions of rubber and the elucidation of the mysteries of rubber. In this paper, some rubber-rerated knowledge provided through car development is also introduced. These show partly rubber’s marvels, future possibilities and characteristics in actual situation.