The Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association is aiming to establish moisture determination with the halogen drying method using Mettler Toledo's halogen moisture analysers.
The tyre production industry is one of the largest consumers of natural and synthetic rubber.
The safety and quality of tyres are strictly regulated and all raw materials must undergo several quality tests.
The ISO248 International Standard specifies two methods for the analysis of moisture and other volatile matter contents in raw rubber: the hot mill method and the oven method.
Both are labour intensive and time consuming, which was why the Japan Rubber Manufacturers Association (JRMA) evaluated alternative determination methods.
With Mettler Toledo, JRMA said that it found the technical support and expertise in moisture analysis they were looking for.
Tests with halogen moisture analysers have shown that the same results can be obtained as with the reference method in the oven.
Measurement time, however, is five times faster.
Mettler Toledo said that its instruments function efficiently and accurately even at the factory production site where they can be cleaned from carbon black and other particulate materials.
JRMA said that its aim is to establish halogen drying in the revised ISO248 and to obtain better and faster methods for the rubber industry in order to produce high quality, reliable tires.
