Leading tyre maker, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced the release of a demonstration tyre with 70% sustainable-material content, including industry-leading innovations.
According to a press release from the company, the 70% sustainable-material tyre includes 13 featured ingredients across nine different tyre components. The performance indicators have shown the components delivering strong overall tyre performance.
The featured ingredients include carbon black, which is included in tyres for compound reinforcement and to help increase their life and has traditionally been made by burning various types of petroleum products. Goodyear’s new tyre features three different carbon blacks produced from methane, carbon dioxide, and plant-based oil. Initial life cycle assessments demonstrate either reduced carbon emissions compared with current methods of carbon black production or the use of bio-based or waste feedstock sources.
Secondly, the use of soybean oil in tyres is a significant innovation that helps keep a tyre’s rubber compound pliable in changing temperatures. Soybean oil is a bio-based resource that reduces the company’s use of petroleum-based products. While nearly 100% of soy protein is used in food/animal feed applications, a significant surplus of oil is leftover and available for industrial applications.
Thirdly, silica is an ingredient often used in tyres to help improve grip and reduce fuel consumption. Goodyear’s new tyre contains a unique variety of silica produced from rice husk ash, a byproduct of rice processing often discarded and put into landfills. A high-quality silica has been produced from this waste ash.
In addition, polyester is recycled from plastic bottles and other plastic waste by reverting the polyester into its base chemicals and reforming them into technical grade polyester feasible for tyre cords.
The 70% sustainable-material tyre has been produced as a demonstration tyre.
Chris Helsel, Senior Vice President, Global Operations & CTO, Goodyear, said, “We set an ambitious goal in 2020 to create a tyre made 100% from sustainable materials in 10 years, and our scientists and engineers have made great progress toward that goal. This is an exciting achievement that demonstrates our commitment to increasing the use of sustainable materials in our tyres.”