Tyres - April 2010

This month we're looking at tyres.

Even though tyres have been around for well over a hundred years, there are always developments and improvements to be made. In recent times run-flat technology has been explored, progress has been made in reducing rolling resistance and the use of re-treads has been more widely adopted.

This progress is driven by a number of factors, but primarily it's safety, environmental concerns and cost. Run-flat technology has been developed to allow drivers to continue with their journey even if their tyre is punctured. This has the obvious safety benefits that drivers can avoid changing tyres by the side of the road and they are less likely to have an accident caused by a sudden loss of pressure whilst driving. Reduction of rolling resistance has been a focus recently as this can significantly reduce fuel consumption, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Re-treads are often popular as a cheaper alternative to brand new tyres - although they may not last as long, the difference in price is big enough for it to be financially worthwhile. This is not just the case for road-going vehicles, but also in larger vehicles like mining trucks.

Abstracts

Please see below a selection of abstracts highlighted in the April Newsletter. These are records which relate to tyres/tires that have been recently added to the Polymer Library.

Click on the 7-digit accession numbers to find out about ordering a copyright-cleared full text copy of the items shown.

1058813 - WORLD FIRST FOR APROXES NE
Toyo Tire Europe's Proxes Ne environmentally-friendly tyre is briefly described. The tyre has extremely low rolling resistance and uses recycled polyester carcass ply (Ecocircle fibres from Teijin Fibers Ltd.). It exhibits good wet handling, is very quiet running and offers good ride comfort.
Composite Solutions: Automotive, 3, No.4, Sept.-Oct.2009, p.36

1058694 - CONCEPT TYRES MADE WITH BIOISOPRENE (short article)
In December 2009, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the world's first concept demonstration tyres produced with Bio-Isoprene technology made their debut. The tyres were the result of collaboration between Genencor (a division of Danisco) and tyre manufacturing giant Goodyear. This article provides us with details of the development.
Bioplastics Magazine, 5, No.1, Jan.-Feb.2010, p.20, ISSN: 1862-5258

1058673 - TECHKING DIVERSIFIES INTO PASSENGER CAR TYRES
China-based tyre manufacturer Techking, well-known for its off-the-road and earthmover tyres, is reported in this article to be preparing to distribute the latest addition to its portfolio: a low rolling-resistance passenger car tyre called "Effiplus". Full details of the company's plans are given here.
Tyres and Accessories, No.2, Feb.2010, p.76, ISSN: 0041-4859
Anthony C

1058433 - QUANTITATIVE APPLICATION OF FTIR IN RUBBER
The application of FTIR for qualitative and quantitative analysis in the rubber industry is reviewed in terms of the advantages of the technique, such as ease of operation, economy, data interpretation, high resolution, high speed, and ease of sample preparation. Examples of quantitative analysis based on FTIR cited include determination of the vinyl acetate content of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, degree of epoxidation of natural rubber, ethylene and propylene contents in ethylene-propylene and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubbers, and the acrylonitrile content of acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber. 24 refs.
Rubber World, 241, No.4, Jan.2010, p.33-39, ISSN: 0035-9572
Chakraborty S; Kar S; Ameta R; Dasgupta S; Mukhopadhyay R; Bandyopadhyay S

1058089 - EFFECT OF FILLERS ON MORPHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES IN NR/SBR BLENDS FOR OTR TYRES
Blends of SBR and NR for use in off-the-road tyres, e.g. dump truck tyres used in mines, were prepared using a two-roll mixing mill in the presence of different types of carbon blacks as reinforcing filler. The effects of fillers on cure characteristics and thermal, dynamic mechanical and morphological properties of the blends were studied. The ISAF N231 type of carbon black exhibited a significant effect on tensile, tear and modulus properties by reacting at the interface between SBR/NR matrixes. The dynamic characteristics and storage modulus of SBR/NR with SAF N110 and SRF N774 types of carbon black showed distinct characteristics with respect to all other blends in this system. The thermal stability of the rubber vulcanisates containing SAF N110 and SRF N774 types of carbon blacks was higher than other blend types. With the increasing percentage of SBR to NR, the thermal stability of the blend was increased. The heat build-up of the blends, however, increased with the increase in SBR percentage. 31 refs.
Plastics, Rubber and Composites, 38, No.7, 2009, p.302-308, ISSN: 1465-8011, DOI: 10.1179/174328909X435393
Pal K; Rajasekar R; Das T; Kang D J; Pal S K; Kim J K; Das C K

1057642 - CHARACTERISATION OF ELASTOMER PREPARED FROM GROUND TYRE RUBBER: MORPHOLOGICAL AND GRANULOMETRIC STUDY
The morphology and particle size of ground rubber from scrap tyres were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and granulometry, respectively. The granulometric study of the powdered rubber was carried out using the Rosin-Rammler and Gates-Gaudin-Schuhmann models. The particle size distribution of the ground rubber satisfactorily fitted the Rosin-Rammler model, particularly for mesh sizes above 0.250 mm. 44 refs.
Plastics, Rubber and Composites, 38, No.5, 2009, p.195-200, ISSN: 1465-8011, DOI: 10.1179/174328909X388026
Ferrer-Gimenez C; Lopez-Martinez J; Nadal-Gisbert A; Cuerda-Correa E M; Macias-Garcia A

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