Rare Earths in Rubber: The Engineered Advantage The recent launch of a new facility in China that produces high strength rubber using rare earth metals has sparked interest in the automotive and industrial sectors.
This technological push is driven by advances in catalytic synthesis of butadiene rubber, which dates back to the 1960s.
China's scientists have been pioneers in this field, and their work has culminated in a new generation of high strength tyres that represent a fundamental shift in synthetic rubber production.