By Zhu Hong, China Rubber Industry Association
The development of traditional rubber materials is constrained
In recent years, with the overall development of the economy and the improvement of science and technology, a series of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, new materials (elastomers, fibers, graphene), 3D printing, big data, cloud computing, and new automotive technology have flourished. Due to the limitation of production level and insufficient performance, traditional rubber materials can hardly meet the needs of the development of modern society. A series of cutting-edge technologies will also have a huge impact on the rubber product market, production mode and sales service mode, etc. New rubber materials that are lightweight, functional, intelligent, and green-use are getting more and more attention.
The raw materials of the rubber industry are divided into three categories: main materials, framework materials and auxiliary materials. These three materials determine the characteristics and functions of rubber products. The development of new rubber materials will have a huge impact on the development of new products in the rubber industry, as well as manufacturing processes and equipment. In particular, it has important strategic significance for promoting intelligent manufacturing in the rubber industry, improving efficiency and quality, reducing energy consumption and reducing pollution.
The development of new rubber materials in China still faces seven major problems
The current direction of new high-end rubber materials development mainly includes the following aspects: changing the form of materials, promoting natural rubber latex or synthetic rubber and white carbon black, black carbon black and modified lignin wet compounding technology, etc.; developing thermoplastic elastomers and resins, using saturated hydrogenation to prepare high temperature resistant SEBS and polyolefin elastomers, high gas barrier polyamide elastomers, new polyurethane rubbers, various special rubbers for electronics, new functional rubber materials required for special rubber products, etc.; developing second type of natural rubber, such as eucommia rubber, dandelion rubber, and silver chrysanthemum rubber, accelerating the industrialization and application of isoprene rubber and trans-isoprene rubber; developing biological and bio-based materials to reduce the use of petroleum-based materials, such as application of aramid, carbon fiber and M materials, as well as bio-based nylon 56 fibers, bio-based elastomers, etc.; developing new materials with specific performance, such as super high-elastic carbon materials, memory function and smart materials, graphene, ceramic aluminum new materials, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, 3D printing rubber materials, etc.
China's new rubber materials are still at the low end of the industrial chain, and their development still faces seven major problems: firstly, some new rubber materials are self-sufficient, but there is still a gap in the performance indicators and stability from the advanced level materials; secondly, some new rubber materials and products are single, the degree of serialization is not high, and the applied technology research falls behind; thirdly, some new materials manufacture is limited by upstream raw materials, and the supply bottleneck of key supporting raw materials needs to be eliminated; fourthly, some new material products have structural surplus; fifthly, some new material products user stickiness is high, and downstream users are slow to accept new products; sixthly, most companies are small, with weak innovation capabilities, low competitiveness, and insufficient investment in R&D and equipment; seventhly, there is a shortage of strategic and innovative talents, which restricts the development of the industry.
The new development pattern under double circulation
With the rapid development of cutting-edge technology, more opportunities have been brought to new rubber materials’ product layout, R&D and production, and business models. Focusing on the national and industrial requirement for carbon reduction, environmental protection, and high-quality development, actively promoting the development of green and bionic materials, including bio-based raw materials, medical materials, and intelligent materials; acousto-optic electromagnetic functional materials: sound-absorbing materials, shock-absorbing materials, induction materials, flexible materials; characteristic elastomer materials: anti-corrosion, heat insulation and cold resistance, oil-resistant sealing, high-strength flexible materials. Through new technical research, the use of active free radical technology realizes the molecular structure design of polar/non-polar monomers, and the gas phase polymerization technology: gas phase polybutadiene + filler blending + direct drying.
The new rubber materials should conform to the market development requirements of high-quality. The product structure and layout should be adjusted, so that following items could be implemented: the new rubber materials is lightweight, functional, and serialized; the market competition is diversified; the market information becomes more transparent, and the production is intelligent; the raw materials are biological, the production is clean and the product is recycled.
