Development of Functionalized High-Cis Polybutadiene Rubber for the Rolling Resistance Reduction of Tires

The reduction of CO₂ emissions as well as the improvement of fuel efficiency is a major task in the automotive industry, thus triggering an increased demand for eco-friendly tires with reduced rolling resistance.

TRINSEO’s Synthetic Rubber Business has developed novel Neodymium based initiator systems as well as an extended functionalization technology platform to produce High-Cis Polybutadiene Rubber (HCBR) grades; thus supporting the further improvement of rolling resistance in tires by reduction of hysteresis loss of tire tread compounds.

Selective examples of this technology as well as the developmental rubber grades produced therewith and their application in SSBR/HCBR cured rubber formulations will be shown.