Centre for rubber science, technology to be established

Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) has decided to establish a centre for rubber science and technology in order to further contribute to the development of Vietnam’s rubber industry.

The centre will continue and carry forward the technologies and equipment of the project: “Establishment of a Carbon-Cycle-System with Natural Rubber” funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

It will be managed by a directorate staffed by Dr. Phan Trung Nghia from the Vietnamese side and Associate Prof . Dr . Seiichi Kawahara from Japan’s University of Technology.

Within the framework of the over 6.9 million USD project, running from April 2011 to March 2016, a group of Vietnamese and Japanese researchers successfully developed a technology that helps remove proteins which cause allergy in natural rubber, thereby enabling the production of higher-quality materials and easing adverse impacts of rubber production on the environment.

Its overall objective is to reduce CO2 emissions by replacing fossil-resource originated synthetic rubber with carbon-neutral natural rubber.

It also seeks to create new industries in automotive and fuel cell fields through the application of high-performance rubber and advanced polymers from protein-free natural rubber.

The newly developed technology enhances the safety level of rubber products and promotes the use of natural rubber.
The project has also developed advanced wastewater treatment technology for rubber processing factories. This helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and recover methane as an energy resource.

Its equipment, which is sponsored by the Japanese agency, has been handed over to the centre.-VNA