The first model with the new parts will be the new Toyota RAV4, after which the technology will be implemented in other supplier products.
The increase in the proportion of recycled material became possible due to the refinement of Toyoda Gosei's proprietary devulcanization technology, which breaks sulfur bonds in rubber without significant loss of strength and without characteristic odors. The development was previously awarded the Toyota Motor Project Award.
Traditionally, rubber recycling was considered difficult: during devulcanization, along with sulfur bonds, other chemical structures are often damaged, which deteriorates the properties of the material and limits its use in automotive components. Toyoda Gosei claims that it managed to significantly reduce these side effects.
The company plans to expand the technology to natural rubber, which is used in the automotive industry in large volumes, and collaborate with automakers on systems for collecting and reprocessing rubber from scrapped vehicles.
Source: Toyoda Gosei
