The arrival of the electrification era has led to disruptive changes in the entire automotive industry chain, and even upstream material companies have had to make extreme changes.

　　During the recently held 2023 China International Rubber Technology Exhibition, the author visited multiple automotive rubber material and product companies and found that most booths presented new energy vehicle related products and promotions. Among them, the globally renowned synthetic rubber supplier Alang Xinke directly brought out a display car model to share its innovative progress with the public.

　　The development prospects of new energy are very broad, which brings great potential for the application of synthetic rubber. The company is accelerating its innovation layout to seize new opportunities in the industry, "said Lu Boyang, Vice President of Sales for Greater China of Arang New Technology.

　　Synthetic rubber is widely used in core components such as automotive tires, rubber tubes, suspensions, and seals due to its excellent heat resistance, cold resistance, wear resistance, and aging resistance. For this reason, although it has been behind the scenes for a long time, it is crucial for the advancement of automobiles. So, let's take a look at the impact and technological progress of the electrification era on synthetic rubber.

　　In the era of electrification, there is an "increase" in the reduction of synthetic rubber business

　　It is reported that the automotive industry is the largest consumer of synthetic rubber, accounting for approximately 70% of the global total consumption. Therefore, the significant changes in the automotive industry have had a huge impact on it.

　　An industry insider told GAC that new energy vehicles are actually a "double-edged sword" for synthetic rubber. The fuel pipes, timing belts and other components of fuel vehicles involve the application of synthetic rubber, but in electric vehicles, these components no longer exist, which is a significant impact for enterprises. However, the application of new components and the improvement of comprehensive performance in electric vehicles have added many new demands to synthetic rubber.

　　The coating of active substances in lithium-ion batteries requires the support of good bonding materials, and synthetic rubber is one of the ideal choices.

　　Thermal management is one of the important systems for new energy vehicles, and the refrigerant in the cooling system also involves synthetic rubber. Moreover, the distribution of the vehicle's heat dissipation system is more dispersed, leading to an increase in the usage of cooling pipes per vehicle, which is also a bonus for synthetic rubber.

　　In addition, compared to traditional cars, the damping system of new energy vehicles needs to meet the dynamic performance requirements at higher frequencies, which makes air springs made of synthetic rubber more popular.

　　New energy vehicles bring many opportunities for synthetic rubber, including charging stations, wires and cables, among other aspects. It is particularly pointed out that new energy vehicles pay increasing attention to safety, driving range, and the interior environment. From this perspective, cleaner rubber and higher performance rubber will definitely be applied more and more. "Dr. Cheng Baojia, Technical Director of Alang Xinke Asia, said.

　　New Challenges Encountered in Technology, High Performance Rubber Becomes a Hard Need

　　As Dr. Cheng Baojia mentioned above, in high-voltage and high current environments, new energy vehicles have put forward stricter requirements for the performance of all components and related materials. So, what are the technical challenges faced by synthetic rubber and how will enterprises respond? In response to this, Gaishi Automobile had further communication with Dr. Cheng Baojia. He introduced core products such as tires and thermal management as examples:

　　In terms of tires, electric vehicles increase weight but accelerate faster, and instantaneous torque can have a significant impact on the tires. This requires the synthetic rubber material used in the tires to have good elasticity and wear resistance, while giving the tires stronger grip and reducing rolling resistance to improve the vehicle's energy efficiency.

　　In terms of thermal management, the heating and cooling systems of new energy vehicles are extremely complex, especially in cold winter when the heating efficiency is directly linked to the vehicle's driving range and performance, requiring synthetic rubber components to withstand extreme cold and hot changes as well as the erosion of cooling agents.

　　In addition to meeting the technological needs of electric vehicles, Dr. Cheng Baojia added to Gaishi Automobile that at present, with the tightening of carbon emission policies, automotive companies have upgraded their emphasis on suppliers' energy-saving and emission reduction capabilities, which is also a major challenge for synthetic rubber enterprises. In response to this, he pointed out that during the exhibition, the new ISCC+certified Keltan showcased by Alang Xinke ®  The raw materials in the Eco EPDM product portfolio come from bio based recycled materials, which are already commercially available for Keltan ®  Further expansion of Eco EPDM products (sourced from bio based materials such as sugarcane). And Keltan ®  EPDM can be widely used in automotive thermal management systems, producing components such as hoses, seals, and gaskets.

　　Overall, the arrival of new energy vehicles has brought certain pressure and challenges to the synthetic rubber industry, but it has also increased many opportunities. If enterprises can seize and transform in a timely manner, there is still considerable room for growth.