Rubber institute makes green tires

The Indian Rubber Board arm Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) is working with the tire industry to validate research that it said would make vehicle tires more environment-friendly by using natural rubber instead of synthetic materials. K.T. Thomas, joint director in the technology wing of the Kerala, southwest India-based institute, said if the testing is successful, RRII’s epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) technology will help reduce the use of petroleum-based materials such as carbon black and synthetic rubber, instead using natural rubber that has been chemically modified using materials that add oxygen atoms into the rubber structure, giving it the same qualities as synthetic rubber in order to meet industry and on-road specifications. (April 8, 2009)