Rubber future trends

Amp K. Chandra, Tyre Technology—Recent Advances and Future Trends, (Paper no. 40) presented at the Fall 170th Technical Meeting of the Rubber Division, American Chemical Society, Cincinnati, OH, 10-12 October, 2006. 

The unusual and attractive properties of the block polymers already identified, and the almost limitless combinations of possible block polymer structures, argue for an unbounded future. The rapidly growing applications for the commercial thermoplastic rubber block polymers of Table III have confirmed the trend. To lend some credibility to our look at the future, however, we have restricted it to the area of A-B-A block polymers in which we have the most experience. Some of the future trends we suggest are higher service temperature, oxidative stability, better processability, solvent resistance, flame retardance, electrical conductivity. 

Forecasting the future trend of any commodity in terms of availability, production, and price is somewhat hazardous, and for natural rubber is probably more hazardous than most. Some conditions exist, however, that would indicate natural rubber will be around for some time at reasonable prices. Although tire production in the United States may be on a plateau, the increasing industrialization of the Third World countries keeps world demand for elastomers rising and at a faster rate than natural production. Such countries, at least in the short term, increase production of trucks rather than passenger automobiles and truck tires require more natural rubber than do passenger tires. 

J. Karger-Kocsis, C.-M. Wu (2004) Thermoset rubber/layered silicate nanocomposites. Status and future trends, Polym. Eng. Sci. 44,1083. 

The objective of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview of the use of rubber as a food contact material, from an initial description of the types of rubber and rubber products that are used in the industry, through the formulation of products, and the contact regulations and migration testing regimes, to the research that is on-going to improve its safety and the trends for the future. 

Over 30,000 products are made of rubber. In the passenger car alone, approximately 600 items in 100 different parts amounting to 170 lb of rubber are used, and greater amounts of rubber will be used in cars of the future if current trends continue. In nontransportation uses, industrial mechanical goods, sponge- and foam-rubber cushionings, heels and soles, wire and cable insulation, and footwear are the most important uses. 

Use of Plastics and Rubbers in Construction Current Status and Trends for the Future... 

There is little in these cities features, the prospects for their regional economies, or future national or global economic trends that is likely to reverse this decline, at least within the near-term future. Detroit will not regain the million people it has lost since 1950, nor will Cleveland regain its half million, over half of each city s peak population. In that light, what is the future of these older industrial cities The question was posed by Clarke and Gaile (1998 39), who wrote, Now that there is no rubber made in Akron and little steel made in Pittsburgh, have these cities lost their raison d etre Is there a life cycle to cities, especially those that have been... 

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