Eastman Chemical : 2019, Sep 18 - Eastman’s Tire Additives division opening new Shanghai lab Sept. 18

Customers can get help with tire compounding and advanced technology needs.

SHANGHAI, China, Sep. 18, 2019 - Tire manufacturers in China and throughout the region can leverage the rubber mixing and testing capabilities of a new state-of-the-art lab that officially opens September 18 at Eastman's China headquarters. The facility will house the company's regional chemists, engineers and application development scientists and was built to serve tire makers throughout Asia and provide fast feedback.

'Sharing our technical expertise and lab capabilities with our customers demonstrates our strong commitment to helping them succeed,' said San Sutanto, Eastman's Asia Pacific sales director, Tire Additives. 'This lab will play a vital role in building trust and enhancing our engagement with manufacturers.'

The lab is equipped with analytical, rubber compounding, and rubber testing equipment. Eastman scientists will give direct technical support using advanced tools.

The laboratory is home to a wide array of equipment and capabilities that focus on physical properties, tire performance indicators, durability, rubber processing, compound curing and more. Featured capabilities include a FLIR camera for accurate temperature detection during the mixing process, Weibull dispersion testing via tensile pulls and Keyence dispersion measurement tools developed by Eastman to improve the accurate detection of insoluble sulfur dispersion by microscope. The lab also offers analysis on both performance resin compatibility and the physical and dynamic properties of rubber compounds.

This is Eastman's second technology center dedicated to tires. The original lab is in Akron, Ohio, USA, a city nicknamed 'the Rubber Capital of the World' for the major role it has played in the tire industry.

The new Shanghai lab began some testing in March, with construction finalized in June. It is already supporting tire plants in the Asia-Pacific region that are adopting the company's next-generation products Eastman Crystex™ Cure Pro insoluble sulfur and Eastman Impera™ performance resins.

Crystex Cure Pro enables tire makers to optimize manufacturing yield, minimize sulfur 'bloom' and reduce manufacturing cost. This lets customers make more tires faster while reducing waste. Also, as regulatory and safety standards increase, Impera performance resins allow tire customers to deliver the right balance of performance and efficiency across a wide range of formulation parameters.

In addition to Sutanto, several other Eastman executives will be on hand for the opening. They include Steve Crawford, senior vice president and chief technology officer; Gunes Celik, vice president and general manager, Tire Additives; and Jim Ziegler, Asia Pacific technology director.

About Eastman
Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company's innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,500 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2018 revenues of approximately $10 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.

Media contact:
Emily Wang
Eastman Chemical Company
Marketing Communications
86-21-6120-6312, 86-137-6143-3175 (mobile)
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