Import-reliant China makes rubber extraction innovation amid rising demand from car industry
- China is eager to strengthen its domestic supply chains amid surging demand for rubber, which is important for its rapidly-growing automotive industry
- China – as the largest rubber consumer in the world – imports more than 80 per cent of the natural rubber it needs each year
China could solve its acute shortage of rubber – a resource it has traditionally relied on imports for to meet its domestic demand – after reporting a technological breakthrough in the extraction of gum from a native plant.
Eucommia ulmoides, a species of small tree native to China, could potentially provide a large volume of rubber after Chinese researchers managed to increase the extraction purity to more than 99 per cent, the Science and Technology Daily said on Tuesday.
China imports more than 80 per cent of the natural rubber it needs each year, according to official figures.
It is an ideal rubber material to replace natural rubber and petroleum synthetic rubber
The research team from the Northwest A&F University also identified the conditions required for compatibility of eucommia gum with natural and nitrile rubber – another commonly used rubber – the report said.
The development is expected to be a “blessing” for the high-end rubber market in China, thanks to the long list of advantages in using eucommia gum, including its high wear resistance, excellent fatigue resistance and slip resistance, it said.