Having successfully identified the factors that cause natural rubber to emit an odor, Sumitomo Rubber Industries has developed reduced-odor natural rubber – a new type of natural rubber that emits significantly less odor.
It is made from a special raw material processing technique, which was devised at Sumitomo Rubber Group’s natural rubber processing plant in Thailand. It achieves a reduction in odor by suppressing the breakdown of odor-causing non-rubber components (such as proteins and lipids) that are found within natural rubber in its raw state.
SRI believes that the establishment of this method represents a major step toward solving long-standing odor issues, not just at natural rubber processing plants, but also within tire factories and other sites where natural rubber is handled.
