Iwakazu Hattori, Head of our Elastomer Research and Development Group, has received the 64th Rubber Technology Achievement Award in recognition of his achievements, including serving as Head of the Tokai Branch and Editorial Board Chair of the Japan Rubber Association, as well as submitting numerous technical papers.

The reasons for the award include his world-leading research into the practical application of silica-blended SSBR, which is essential for today’s fuel-efficient tires; his detailed polymerisation analysis to elucidate the terminal modification mechanism of high-cis BR, which was previously considered difficult; his industrialization of modified Nd-BR with greatly improved wear resistance; and in the resin field, the establishment of the principle of compatibility between different resins using modified SEBS, which has contributed to the commercialization of a wide variety of blended materials such as PP/PET, PP/PLA, and PS/PE.

ETIC's technology for silica compounded SSBR is being used on a large scale at factories around the world under licensing agreements, with cumulative production volumes reaching several hundred thousand tons.

This award recognises the company’s significant achievements in raising technical standards within the global rubber and plastics industry, as well as reducing its environmental impact.