Feb 15 2011
Lehigh Technologies, a manufacturer of sustainable, micronized rubber powders, announced today they are offering natural rubber based MicroDyne™ and PolyDyne™ micronized powders, for customers managing the challenge of rising natural rubber costs and who want to improve the sustainability profile of their products.
Prices of natural rubber, a key component in tire, automotive and industrial products, have surged recently to record highs in January 2011. Prices are likely to remain at that level in the near future due to strong demand and limited supply. Therefore, manufacturers are looking for ways to manage costs without sacrificing performance. To that end, companies are turning to Lehigh Technologies' natural rubber small particle size powders as a valuable formulation tool in their production.
"Over the past year we have successfully incorporated natural rubber into our production environment and the Application and Development team has developed formulation protocols to optimize the use of micronized rubber powders in compounds," said Kedar Murthy, vice president and general manager of Lehigh Technologies Tire and Industrial Rubber business. "This gives us the ability to assist our customers in quickly adapting their formulations to meet changing market dynamics while continuing to meet their cost, performance and sustainability targets."
Companies also are eager to take advantage of the fact that Lehigh's products are sustainable and environmentally impactful. By incorporating micronized natural rubber powders into products at higher levels, manufacturers can get out in front of the curve in the development of sustainable products and position their company as leading edge in "green" manufacturing.
Lehigh's commitment to helping solve the environmental challenge of tire waste material was recently acknowledged by The World Economic Forum, naming the company a 2010 Technology Pioneer. This annual award is given to companies involved in the development of life-changing technology that has the potential for long-term impact on business and society.
Lehigh Technologies' proprietary manufacturing process takes tire and other post-industrial rubber material and "upcycles" it into micron-scale, high quality, sustainable powders that are compatible with customers' existing formulations, making it easy to integrate into new or existing products. These powders not only help companies achieve sustainability goals, but can also improve performance attributes such as water resistance, energy savings and flexibility, while delivering significant costs savings over virgin raw materials.