2007 The former Hitachi Cable News Release
Information (including product prices, product specifications, details of services, launch dates, inquiry information, and URLs) contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press release but is subject to change without notice. Please note that details may differ from those effective on the search date.
Tohoku Rubber, Co. Ltd. has developed and will start sales of "Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET", an eco-friendly rubber sheet
Tohoku Rubber Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sendai, Miyagi Pref.; President: Masao Yamaguchi; referred to as "Tohoku Rubber" hereafter), a subsidiary of Hitachi Cable, Ltd., recently developed "Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET," which maintains function and performance approximately equivalent to a standard chloroprene rubber sheet without the inclusion of chlorine or other halogens while boasting a 20-percent weight reduction compared to conventional products. Tohoku Rubber will start sales of this product on December 1, 2007.
Tohoku Rubber manufactures and sells various types of rubber sheets in keeping with the needs of its customers. Among them is chloroprene rubber sheet, a versatile synthetic rubber sheet with superior oil, weather, and heat resistance compared to natural rubber sheet. These features make it ideal for use in automotive components, exterior coverings for electric appliances, and vibration absorbing materials for structures. However, chloroprene rubber contains chlorine, and there has been significant concern regarding the generation of hazardous gases, including dioxin, during disposal due to imperfect combustion in incineration. Recently, heightened awareness of the importance of environmental protection has led to increasingly aggressive measures to ban or restrict hazardous substances in products, and many customers now attach a high value to the environmental aspects of products and consider hazardous gases generated during incineration to be significantly problematic.
In response to this demand for environmentally friendly products, Tohoku Rubber has developed "Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET ," and will start sales in December, 2007. Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET does not contain hazardous chemical substances such as halogens and yet has approximately equivalent mechanical properties, heat-aging characteristics, and oil resistance compared to Tohoku Rubber's conventional chloroprene rubber sheet (CR6005), while realizing a 20-percent weight savings. It is a more eco-friendly product. As it does not contain halogens, it does not generate hazardous gases such as dioxin in incineration. In addition, it does not use any of the banned or controlled substances specified in JIG *1 nor any of the banned substances specified in the RoHS Directive *2 or the ELV Directive *3. It does not contain formaldehyde, which is suspected to be the causal substance of sick building syndrome, nor endocrine disruptors, including phthalates. It is compliant with the specifications for rubber instruments, containers, and packaging in Notification No. 370 of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare based on the Food Sanitation Law. Further, it has achieved approximately 20 percent weight savings compared to the conventional product, which contributes to reducing the energy required for transportation and the weight of products in which the sheet is used, leading to easier handling for customers. Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET is priced at the same level as the conventional product. Upon starting sales, Tohoku Rubber will prepare four sizes *4 in stock for ready delivery.
From this point forward, Tohoku Rubber will make efforts to educate its customers in regard to the environmental superiority of Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET, enabling a shift in production from chloroprene rubber sheet to Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET as sales of the latter increase. Tohoku Rubber expects 0.2 billion yen in sales of chloroprene rubber sheet in fiscal 2008, and has a target of 0.2 billion yen in sales for Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET and 0.1 billion yen in sales for chloroprene rubber sheet in fiscal 2011, for a total of 0.3 billion yen in sales.
| *1 | JIG (Joint Industry Guide) is a set of guidelines for disclosing information on the chemical substances contained in electric and electronic appliances. It is determined by member enterprises of EICTA (European Information, Communications and Consumer Electronics Industry Technology Associations), JGPSSI (Japan Green Procurement Survey Standardization Initiative), EIA (Electronic Industries Alliance), and JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council). |
| *2 | The RoHS(Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment)Directive is an EU (European Union) directive for restricting the use of specific hazardous substances (lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyls ethers) |
| *3 | The ELV(End-of Life Vehicles)Directive is an EU directive banning the use of specific substances in car components. |
| *4 | The sizes currently available in stock are listed below. Other sizes are available upon request. Please inquire with Tohoku Rubber regarding producible sizes. |
| Thickness(mm)×width(mm)×length(m) |
|---|
| 1×1000×20 |
| 2×1000×20 |
| 3×1000×20 |
| 5×1000×10 |
Photograph of Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET
Comparison of substances contained in Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEETs and typical chloroprene rubber
| Item | Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET |
Typical chloroprene rubber | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halogens | Absent | Present | |
| JIG | Controlled substances | Absent | May be present |
| Banned substances | Absent | Absent | |
| Substances banned under RoHS Directive | Absent | Absent | |
| Substances banned under ELV Directive | Absent | Absent | |
| Substances Suspected to causesick building syndrome | Endocrine disruptors, including phthalates | Absent | May be present |
| Formaldehyde | Absent | Absent | |
| Rubber instruments, containers, and packaging listed in Notification No. 370 of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare based on the Food Sanitation Law | Compliant | Not compliant | |
Comparison of material characteristics of Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET and chloroprene rubber sheet (measured values)
| Item | Tohoku Rubber ECO KARU SHEET |
Tohoku Rubber chloroprene rubber sheet (CR6005) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific gravity | 1.26 | 1.52 | |
| Weight of 3-mm thick product (kg/m2) | Approx 3.8 | Approx 4.6 | |
| Hardness(JIS A) | 63 | 60 | |
| Tensile strength(Mpa) | 6.5 | 5.3 | |
| Elongation(%) | 360 | 320 | |
| Heat aging test(100 degrees ×70Hr) | Hardness(JIS A) | 73 | 72 |
| Tensile strength(Mpa) | 7.2 | 6.3 | |
| Elongation(%) | 260 | 260 | |
| Oil resistance test (100 degrees ×70Hr) |
JIS#1Volume change(%) | 28 | 22 |
| JIS#3Volume change(%) | 75 | 94 | |
| Ozone degradation test(50pphm×40 degrees ×20% elongation) | No cracks for 7 days | No cracks for 7 days | |
| Permanent compressive strain% 100 degrees ×22Hr×25%compression) |
68 | 75 | |
Overview of Tohoku Rubber Co., Ltd.
| Representative | President: Masao Yamaguchi |
|---|---|
| Headquarters address | 1-1-12, Minato, Miyagino-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Pref. |
| Capital | 276 million yen |
| Major shareholders and shares held | Hitachi Cable, Ltd. 61.7% Others 38.3% |
| Net sales | 6,200 million yen (Fiscal 2006) |
| Primary area of operations | Manufacturing and sales of various industrial rubber products |
Contact
Tohoku Rubber, Co. Ltd.
1-12, Minato 1-chome, Miyagino-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 983-0001
TEL:+81-22-387-1511