In engine and drive system hoses. These components are subject to wear and tear from heat, oil, ozone, other fluids and atmospheric conditions. For this reason, they are commonly constructed of epichlorohydrin rubber, which has a high resistance to corrosion. Biohydrin rubber can be produced using a variety of compound technologies for bonding plant-derived materials with petroleum- derived materials at the molecular level.
These technologies ensure that biohydrin rubber provides the levels of oil resistance, heat resistance and durability required for vacuum sensing hoses in engines and drive systems. Additionally, biohydrin rubber is similar to conventional petroleum-based hydrin rubber in terms of quality and mass production possibility, enabling large-scale use in commercial vehicles.
Toyota plans to expand the use of biohybrid to other high-performance rubber components, such as brake hoses and fuel line hoses.
Going forward, Toyota will continue to develop and commercialise technologies that enable the use of materials like ecological plastic and biosynthetic rubber in a wider range of components.