Goodyear has developed a tire made from 90% sustainable materials that can also save fuel, but it is not yet in production.
The “demonstration tire” has passed all Goodyear internal tests, as well as all applicable regulatory tests, and is proven to have lower rolling resistance than comparable conventional tyres. announced last week. Lower rolling resistance improves efficiency, which means it’s well-suited to electric vehicles or models designed for maximum gas mileage.
Goodyear claims to have used 17 key components, including 12 different tire components that are sustainably sourced or at least have a lower environmental impact than comparable materials currently used in the production. tire export.
Goodyear tire production
An example is carbon black, which is used to reinforce rubber compounds in tires and is often created by burning petroleum products. For this demonstration tire, Goodyear used four different types of carbon black produced with methane, carbon dioxide, vegetable-based oils and expired tire pyrolysis oil feedstock, which the company says will help reduce carbon emissions from the manufacturing process.
Goodyear also uses soybean oil, which is made from leftover soybeans from food and animal feed, to keep the rubber compound flexible at different temperatures. This is something Goodyear has used on some of its production tires. The company says eight of its product lines, which include some racing tires, include soybean oil.
Other highlights include silica made from rice husk waste, recycled polyester from bottles, renewable pine resin, polymers from bio-based materials and recycled steel for electrical wires. Goodyear claims that the steel is produced in an electric arc furnace, which requires less energy and allows for a higher recycling content than other processes.
Goodyear tires made from 70% sustainable materials
The demonstration tires show that Goodyear is capable of producing tires with 90% sustainable content, even as it aims to launch tires manufactured with 70% sustainable content this year. Goodyear revealed 70% sustainable tire as a concept demonstration tire just a year ago, so it’s growing fast.
Like the cars they’re attached to, the tires are undergoing an effective overhaul. Driving this is the goal of automakers to reduce their carbon impact and increase sustainable content. Hyundai and Michelin For example, in partnership for such purposes, Bridgestone last year announced plans to manufacture natural rubber tires from guayule from Southwest America.
Beyond that is the idea of a tire regeneration, with capsules filled with liquid, Goodyear dreamed about three years ago. Perhaps less commercially viable, it could have a positive impact on its own by reducing waste.
