Latin America. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced the launch of a 70% sustainable materials demonstration tire that is designed with innovations from industry leaders.
"We set an ambitious goal in 2020 to create a tire made of 100% sustainable materials in 10 years, and our scientists and engineers have made great strides toward that goal," said Chris Helsel, Senior Vice President of Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer. "This is an exciting achievement that demonstrates our commitment to increasing the use of sustainable materials in our tires," adds Helsel.
The wheels developed 70% with sustainable material feature 13 ingredients highlighted in nine different components, including those described below. For its part, the company's performance indicators have demonstrated the properties of the components to offer tires with a solid overall performance.
Black carbon is present in composite reinforcement and to help increase the life of the tire, traditionally made by burning various types of petroleum products. Goodyear's new tire features three types of black carbon that are produced from methane, carbon dioxide and vegetable oil. Initial life cycle assessments demonstrate a reduction in carbon emissions compared to current methods of producing black carbon, derived from the use of bio-based raw materials or waste.
The use of soybean oil in tires is an important Goodyear innovation that helps keep the rubber compound of a tire flexible with changing temperatures. Soybean oil is a biological resource that reduces Goodyear's use of petroleum products. While nearly 100% of soy protein is used in food or animal feed applications, a significant surplus of this oil is available for use in industrial applications.
Silica is an ingredient often used in tires to help improve grip and reduce fuel consumption. Goodyear's new tire contains a unique variety of silica produced from rice husk ash, a byproduct derived from processing this seed that is often discarded and landfilled. High-quality silica has been produced from this waste ash.
Polyester is another ingredient present that is recycled from bottles and other plastic waste by reversing polyester into its basic chemicals and reforming them into technically grade polyester feasible for tire cables.
The 70% sustainable material tire has been produced as a demonstration tire.
