Advancing Elastomer Performance at Global Polymer Summit 2026

The Kuraray America, Inc. Elastomers team participated in Global Polymer Summit 2026, held September 28-29 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The team joined industry professionals to discuss material innovation, elastomer performance, and solutions for demanding applications.

Exploring Liquid Rubber Performance in Tire Formulations

As part of the conference program, Erich Klein presented “Performance Impact of Liquid Rubber on Low-Tg SSBR/Resin Tire Formulations” on September 28.

As tire formulations increasingly combine low-glass-transition-temperature (Tg) solution styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) with resins, selecting the right additives becomes increasingly important for balancing key performance characteristics such as rolling resistance, abrasion resistance, and wet grip.

The presentation examined the effects of co-vulcanizable liquid rubber as a reactive plasticizer in silica-filled, low-Tg SSBR and resin compounds. Results from model compound studies provided additional insight into how liquid rubber can influence formulation performance.

Kuraray Elastomer Solutions on the Exhibit Floor 
Throughout the event, visitors could connect with the Kuraray America Elastomers team at Booth #739 and explore a portfolio of engineered materials, including:
SEPTON™
HYBRAR™
KURARAY LIQUID RUBBER
PARAPET™
ISOBAM™

These materials support a broad range of applications and performance requirements, including solutions for automotive components, medical tubing, films, and other engineered products.

Connecting with the Kuraray Team
Kuraray representatives onsite included David Steinberg, Erich Klein, Naoya Sato, Clint Abe, and Brian Chapman.

Global Polymer Summit 2026 provided another opportunity for Kuraray to engage with customers and industry professionals while sharing how its elastomer technologies can help address evolving material and application requirements.
 

Learn more about Kuraray’s elastomer portfolio and discover material solutions designed for demanding applications. 
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