(VNF) - Remarkable technologies to reduce protein in natural rubber, which can cause skin allergy, in order to produce high-performance materials and alleviate environmental burdens from natural rubber processing were developed by a group of Vietnamese and Japanese researchers.

These technologies were introduced in a special session at the International Rubber Conference in Ho Chi Minh city on November 3rd. It is one of the key events where local and foreign experts and researchers in the rubber industry share their discoveries and new development.

The ODA project started in April 2011 and will be completed in March 2016, with the overall goals of reducing CO2 emissions by replacing fossil-resource-originated synthetic rubber with carbon-neutral natural rubber and creating new industries in automotive or fuel cell fields through the applications of high-performance rubber and advanced polymers from protein-free natural rubber.

The newly-developed technology by the Vietnamese and Japanese researchers within the scope of the project increases the safety level of rubber products and promotes uses of natural rubber to replace synthetic rubber. Using low-protein, Ho Chi Minh city-based Duy Hang rubber company has produced trial pieces of gloves.

As one of the outputs, the project has also successfully developed advanced wastewater treatment technology for rubber processing factories, which efficiently reduces greenhouse gas emission and recovers methane as an energy resource. It also developed enzymes to decompose cellulosic biomass with rubber to produce sugar and alcohol.

The project has produced essential outcomes which will promote substituting carbon-neutral natural rubber for synthetic rubber made from fossil resources and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases.

As rubber production in Vietnam has been growing rapidly in recent years, development of new natural-rubber products will also contribute to nation’s green development./.

( VNF )