01-11-2012 Vinay Sharma, Job Kuriakose & Arup K. Chandra R & D Centre, Apollo Tyres Ltd. Limda, Gujarat‐391760 www.apollotyres.com www.apollotyres.com • Introduction • History • Present Status • New Developments • Challenges • Initiatives to tackle challenges • Conclusion 1 01-11-2012 www.apollotyres.com Introduction “Civilization as we know it today is wholly dependent upon rubber......” Ralph Wolf, “Rubber World” Oct. 1964 • India: A major producer & consumer of NR . •From eraser‐to‐tyre technology. •Performing reasonably well even during recession. •Raw rubber = NR & Synthetic rubber (75:25; India & 42:58 World). History of Rubber www.apollotyres.com 7th Century Central & Charles John Dunlop South America Goodyear 1843 1888 Rubber for (17th‐18th •Vulcanisation of ceremonial & rubber. •Invented pneumatic tyre. Social importance Century) •Moreresistanceto in Aztec & Mayan Waterproof textiles, temperature rubber boots, etc. Civilisations. increased applications. 2 01-11-2012 www.apollotyres.com History of Rubber The Stevenson Synthetic Rubber Standards for Rubber(1965) Plan (1922) Project (1942) Introduction of standards for Effort by British This unique venture, rubber by Malaysian Rubber government to lasted until 1953, Board. stabilize low rubber prices. documented in 8,000 First specifications were on technical reports. visible attributes, ash, copper, manganese, dirt & protein. www.apollotyres.com Applications ‐ Non‐Tyre sector • Automotive (belts, hoses, gaskets, moldings) • Industrial (adhesives, padding, belting, vibration dampening, wire sheathing) •Consumer (toys, door moldings) •Construction (roofing, sealants) Stomach Tube •Medical (films, sheets, tubing, straps, etc.) 3 01-11-2012 www.apollotyres.com Global Rubber Market: Current Status • World rubber usage 25.9 million tons in 2011 • Splits between NR (42%) & Synthetic Rubber (58%) • NR ‐ Largest single consumed rubber: mainly truck‐bus radials • SBR ‐ Largest consumed synthetic rubber: mainly passenger tires Rubber Production Vs Consumption in the year 2011 30,000,000 25,000,000 20,000,000 Natural Rubber 15,000,000 Synthetic Rubber Total Rubber In Tons ,000 10,000,000 Source: International 5,000,000 Rubber Study Group (IRSG) 0 Production Consumption Challenges: Apparent www.apollotyres.com Current Sources & Process Bottlenecks Small Growers (300‐1000) Highly Inconsistent Tapping + Coagulation (w HCOOH) Improper Drying + Sheeting Foreign Matter ‐Dust ‐Wood Sun Drying ‐Metal pieces ‐Sand Smoking + Small Dealers/agents Fungus 4 01-11-2012 “Amul” Model www.apollotyres.com Smallholder Cooperatives Field Latex Collection Central Rubber Market Rubber Board of India Processor / Exporter www.apollotyres.com Advantages ① Consistency ② Elimination of middle man ③ Economic growth of smallholders ④ Availability 5 01-11-2012 www.apollotyres.com Significance of Rubber Board • Implementing new techniques & technologies • Analysing technical, economic & social impact of new technologies • Promotion of Rubber Cooperatives • Determining the acceptability • Develop additional knowledge regarding sustainability challenges • Formulate an approach that will help better align industry practices with sustainable growth Environmental Benefits of NR www.apollotyres.com CO2 sequestration by photosynthesis Hevea Brasiliensis 11 μmol/m2/s Vs. Other Trees 5-13 μmol/m2/s Tree Type CO2 sequestration/Hectare (Over 30 years life) Hevea Brasiliensis 272 tons Rainforest 234 tons Secondary Rainforest 150 tons Natural Rubber Synthetic Rubber •Renewable Resource •Fossil Resource based •Converts CO & Solar energy 2 •Converts crude oil in to to elastomer. •Low energy input elastomer & produces CO2. During production: 15‐16 •High energy input GJ/ton During production: 150‐210 •Low fertiliser demand GJ/ton •Valuable source of timber 6 01-11-2012 www.apollotyres.com Environmental Impact of Rubber Industry Effluent discharge from rubber Effluent discharge from processing rubber product manufacturing Release of CO2, NO2 and Air Pollution & Malodour methane in processing and Issue manufacturing Sludge production from rubber product manufacturing Challenges www.apollotyres.com •NR – Uncertainty of access. –Price volatility. –Growing area restricted to tropical climates. –Replacement of NR farming with more profitable crops, like palm. • Poorly managed plantation production. – China was leading to the disappearance of more than 2,500 kg of topsoil per annum. 7 01-11-2012 Challenges www.apollotyres.com • Fluctuation in crude oil prices. •EU Legislation on CO2 emission. (European Climate Foundation) • Develop a low‐carbon economy. Challenges www.apollotyres.com • Mandatory labelling of tyres from November, 2012. (International Energy Agency) • Substitutability of natural & synthetic rubber has neither increased nor decreased over the last twenty years. (ETRMA) • Waste rubber from used rubber products. 8 01-11-2012 www.apollotyres.com Initiatives to tackle challenges •Specialty rubbers from NR –ENR & DPNR • Tailoring Synthetic Rubber according to customer’s need –ESBR, SSBR & functionalised S‐SBR • Synthesis of SR via Natural Resources. –Bio‐isoprene (Amyris, Genencor), EPDM & Butyl Rubber (LANXESS) • Cradle to Grave & Grave to Cradle Approach –End life of tyres (ELT) & Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) www.apollotyres.com * Apollo researches alternatives to NR “Several tyre makers have expressed their interest utilising NR sourced from Guayule & Russian dandelions, but Apollo Vredestein has announced it has actually produced tyres containing such materials. The company says the first tyres manufactured with European natural rubber rolled off its production belt this week...” July 11, 2012 * As appeared in TyreReview online. EU-PEARLS Project 9 01-11-2012 Conclusion www.apollotyres.com "Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” - Helen Keller • Rubber‐ an indispensable material. • Rubber‐ 40,000+ applications. • Tyres > 60 % consumption. • NR & SBR are the most consumed rubbers. • NR cannot be replaced in various technical applications like truck tyres. • Facing a lot of problems like price volatility, low yielding, increasing demand, etc. • Efforts are on to tackle these challenges. www.apollotyres.com 10 01-11-2012 www.apollotyres.com Changing: Some Basic Steps Step 3: Refreezing Incorporating the changes, creating and maintaining a new organizational system Step 2: Changing Attempting to create a new state Who will be of affairs better than Rubber Board? Step 1: Unfreezing Recognizing the need for change New Developments www.apollotyres.com •High‐yielding & disease‐resistant rubber saplings. • Rubber Plantation in North East. • Tripura is currently the second largest rubber growing state in India with 33.7% area under rubber. • Rubberisation of Roads (IRB). • Production of Seismic Bearings (IRB). 11 01-11-2012 Historical recovery rate estimates for ELTs Sources: Estimates based on data from European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association, Rubber Manufacturers Association and Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association Inc. 12.