Bridgestone has announced the name for what’s claimed to be the world’s first polymer that bonds rubbers and resins on the molecular level. SUSYM represents a combination of the words ‘sustain,’ ‘symphony,’ and ‘symbiosis’. The company aims to raise the recognition of SUSYM with this name, which expresses the anticipated contributions of this material to society.
SUSYM is the next step in the evolution of the High Strength Rubber announced in May 2018. Bridgestone says that SUSYM boasts the high levels of durability and resistance found in conventional rubber coupled with substantially higher levels of performance with regard to puncture resistance, recyclability and repairability, and low-temperature impact resistance.
Furthermore, SUSYM is capable of enhancing performance in these areas while maintaining the flexibility of rubber and durability of resin. Bridgestone believes that these features make it highly applicable to various fields other than tires. In also boasting the high levels of durability and resistance of conventional rubber, it is capable of realizing the various types of performance required in tires while using fewer resources.
Bridgestone says that it will move forward with research and development of the material, applying the benefits of this proprietary technology to various fields while collaborating with a range of companies and organizations to expand its potential. A concept tire utilizing numerous SUSYM functions and materials was exhibited at the recent Tokyo Motor Show.
