Michitaka Kaizu

Michitaka has a BSc and MSc from Osaka University, Japan. He majored in macromolecular chemistry, studying organometallic catalysts for polymerization. Michitaka joined JSR Corporation in 1997. He has been involved in the R&D and process engineering of optical materials for 20 years, working in the R&D of polymers for tire materials since 2018. He belonged to Eneos Materials Corporation due to transfer of its elastomer business in 2022. He currently belongs to Eneos Materials Europe.

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Presentation

Advanced technology in ENEOS-SBR: driving tire performance and ecological impact

To reduce CO2 emissions, the automotive and tire industries seek to improve rolling resistance, wear resistance, durability and grip in compounds, raw materials and synthetic rubber, along with using sustainable and recycled materials. Research on styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), the main tread compound material, has focused on modification technology, increasing molecular weight to improve tensile strength and wear resistance. In this study, we utilize Eneos's accumulated expertise in polymer technology to introduce various chemical modifications to the backbone of SBR, investigating how these changes impact the physical properties and composition of the compound, and explaining their contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.