Eastman has announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art lab that officially opens September 18 at Eastman’s China headquarters.
Enhancing Engagement with Tire manufacturers
Tire manufacturers in China and throughout the region can leverage the rubber mixing and testing capabilities of a new lab. The lab also offers analysis on both performance resin compatibility and the physical and dynamic properties of rubber compounds.
This is Eastman’s second technology center dedicated to tires. The original lab is in Akron, Ohio, USA, a city nicknamed “the Rubber Capital of the World” for the major role it has played in the tire industry.
Crystex™ Cure Pro - Vulcanizing Agent for the Tire Industry
The new Shanghai lab began some testing in March, with construction finalized in June. It is already supporting tire plants in the Asia-Pacific region that are adopting the company’s next-generation products Eastman Crystex™ Cure Pro insoluble sulfur and Eastman Impera™ performance resins.
Crystex Cure Pro enables tire makers to optimize manufacturing yield, minimize sulfur “bloom” and reduce manufacturing cost. This lets customers make more tires faster while reducing waste. Also, as regulatory and safety standards increase, Impera performance resins allow tire customers to deliver the right balance of performance and efficiency across a wide range of formulation parameters.
Technical Support Using Advanced Tools
The lab is equipped with analytical, rubber compounding, and rubber testing equipment. Eastman scientists will give direct technical support using advanced tools.
The laboratory is home to a wide array of equipment and capabilities that focus on physical properties, tire performance indicators, durability, rubber processing, compound curing and more.
Featured capabilities include a FLIR camera for accurate temperature detection during the mixing process, Weibull dispersion testing via tensile pulls and Keyence dispersion measurement tools developed by Eastman to improve the accurate detection of insoluble sulfur dispersion by microscope.
In addition to Sutanto, several other Eastman executives will be on hand for the opening. They include Steve Crawford, senior vice president and chief technology officer; Gunes Celik, vice president and general manager, Tire Additives; and Jim Ziegler, Asia Pacific technology director.
The facility will house the company’s regional chemists, engineers and application development scientists and was built to serve tire makers throughout Asia and provide fast feedback.
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Sharing our technical expertise and lab capabilities with our customers demonstrates our strong commitment to helping them succeed,” said San Sutanto, Eastman’s Asia Pacific sales director, Tire Additives. “
This lab will play a vital role in building trust and enhancing our engagement with manufacturers.”
Source: Eastman