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Advances in tire materials, tire constructions and tiretechnologies have led to new products and the
development of new marketsegments. Tire manufacturing technology has progressed in parallel
withtire construction technology so that tires are now designed not only tomeet specific
performance targets, but also to enable improvedmanufacturability, i.e., more efficient, lower cost
and more uniformproduction.
Increasing automobile manufacturers' requirements and ever
growing customer expectations have
resulted in the evolution of new
product technology. This fascinating product will still continue
to
develop to accommodate new applications, safety, health and
environmental issues, advantages
of novel materials like nano
composites, plasma surface modified carbon black, development
of
computer simulation techniques and, finally, to develop a cybernetic or
thinking tire.
Materials
In order to support and meet this demand, an all around development
has taken place on the
material front too, be it an elastomer; new
generation nano-filler; surface modified or plasma
treated filler;
reinforcing materials like aramid, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and
carbon fiber;
nitrosamine-free vulcanization and vulcanizing agents;
antioxidants and antiozonants; a series of
post-vulcanization
stabilizers; environmentally friendly process oil; etc.
Polymers/elastomers
Today, there is a worldwide huge crunch for natural rubber, and the
rapidly rising NR prices are a
major concern for all tire manufacturers.
The worldwide shortage of NR is arising mainly due to
production cuts in
Malaysia and shifting plantations more towards palm oil, the growing
usage of
NR in radial tires and an increasing demand in China. In the
future, usage of more synthetic rubber
and the partial replacement of NR
by synthetic polyisoprene is expected to rise. Even though
natural
rubber is traded above $2 per kg, it is still the first choice for
radial truck tire
manufacturers because of its excellent physical and
mechanical properties, and better adhesion to
steel cord (ref. 1).
Of the available synthetic rubbers, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)possesses the greatest balance of
functional qualities in the widestrange of applications. Today, solution SBR is widely replacing
emulsionSBR in passenger radial tires. Solution SBR is prepared by solutionpolymerization using
Ziegler-Natta catalyst. Solution SBR has no organicfatty acid and there is more control of microstructure (tailor-madeproduct). This results in better physical properties like lower rollingresistance
and better wet grip, which is a most stringent requirementfor ultra high performance (UHP) and
other tires (ref. 2).
Oil extended butadiene rubber prepared using neodymium catalyst has
very high cis content, very
high molecular weight and narrow molecular
weight distribution. This polymer exhibits better
physical properties
and higher abrasion resistance, but it is difficult to process (ref. 3).
Recently,
Bridgestone has announced the development of a synthesis
technology that chemically bonds a high
cis butadiene rubber (cis BR)
with silica at its molecular chain end, resulting in a
better
performing, more resistant tire (ref. 4). Bridgestone has generated two
technologies that,
when integrated, led to the development of the
end-functionalized high cis butadiene rubber with
reactivity to silica.
The first creates a polymer chain of high cis BR with an active site at
it chain
end, by redeveloping the polymerization catalyst that converts
the monomer molecules to a polymer
chain. The second relates to the
chemical conversation of the chain-end active site to the
silicareactive functionality, by reaction with a carefully designed
functionalizing agent. Bridgestone said
if the new compound, with
nonporoustech (nanostructure-oriented properties control technology),
is
used in a tire tread, it should improve flexibility in cold conditions,
yet retain stiffness for warm
conditions.
Reinforcing fillers
Carbon black is incorporated into the polymer to achieve several
requirements. The most stringent
requirements are good tread wear, low
rolling resistance and superior traction. Out of these
parameters, if
one improves, another will deteriorate. These three inter-related
properties are
sometimes assigned to a so-called magic triangle (figure
1). In recent years, the worlds' leading
carbon black manufacturers
have come up with innovative grades to meet our conflicting
demands.
In the recent past, a lot of development has taken place inreinforcing filler technology. These
developments include theintroduction and usage of improved grades of silica, development of
dualfillers, nanotechnology for improved tire performance, introduction ofbiofillers such as corn
starch in tire treads (eco friendly tires,Goodyear), introduction of polymeric fillers, and ground
rubber as arecycling material and eco friendly filler.
[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]
The use of highly dispersible silica, together with silanes and
high vinyl solution SBR, has met all
critical magic triangle
requirements like good dry and wet traction, reduced tread wear and
low
rolling resistance. Highly dispersible, high surface area silica offers
nearly a 40% reduction of
rolling resistance and approximately 30%
reduction of heat build-up.
The increasing price of crude oil has built up the pressure on the
tire and automobile industries to
develop low rolling resistant tires
with better traction. Filler with a combination of carbon and
silica,
with a coupling agent, (dual filler technology) shows low rolling
resistance with better
traction and skid resistance in tire tread
compounds. Carbon black developed by a plasma process
and nano structure
black are new significant developments in filler technology.
Carbon black-silica dual phase fillers reduce hysteresis while
maintaining or improving abrasion
resistance. This system is less
expensive, as the coupling agent requirement is less, and produces
a
semi-conductive product compared to a full silica filler system. The
dual phase filler is less
abrasive to the processing equipment compared
to the usage of silica filler alone. But, the use of
dual phase filler
increases the cost of a compound compared to traditional carbon black.
Carbon black by a plasma process replaces the incomplete combustion
with direct splitting of the
hydrocarbon feed stock oil, using plasma,
into hydrogen and carbon black. It produces carbon black
of
pre-determined characteristics.
Nano-structure black is a family of new carbon blacks characterized
by a rough surface and
enhanced filler-polymer interaction (figure 2).
It hinders the slippage of polymer molecules along
the rough
nano-structure surface and reduces the hysteresis significantly. This
type of black ideally
meets truck tire requirements, as it provides
improved tread wear in addition to low hysteresis.
Silica filler and clay are hydrophilic in nature, while most of the
polymers are hydrophobic in
nature. This generates a huge surface energy
difference at the polymer-filler interface and results in
macro-phase
separation. Coupling agents were found to be one of the alternative ways
to improve
reinforcement by silica, however this requires very lengthy
and multistage mixing technology and
consuming energy. The efficiency of
coupling agents is very low in the presence of other rubber
chemicals.
Recently developed functionalized fillers overcome this. Functionalized
filler is a new
category of fillers in which the surface chemistry of
the filler is changed for better polymer-filler
interaction. This is a
suitable way to improve the degree of reinforcement of rubber and
polymerfiller interaction by providing functionality to the filler
surface, which is stable at normal mixing
temperature, but can react
with the rubber matrix during vulcanization. This leads to grafting
of
filler particles on the rubber matrix, with great improvement of
physical properties. The shape of
the aggregate plays an important role
in the distribution of filler in the rubber matrix, and
controlled
aggregate size distribution (ASD) also helps in processing. This can be
achieved through
chemical surface modification of carbon black (ref. 5)
[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]
Mineral oils, also known as extender oils, are a wide range of a
minimum 1,000 different chemical
components and are used for the
reduction of compound cost and improved processing behavior
(ref. 10).
They are also used as a plasticizer for improved low temperature
properties and improved
rubber elasticity. Basically, they are a mixture
of aromatic, naphthenic, paraffinic and polycyclic
aromatic (PCA)
materials. Almost 75% of the extender oils are used in the tread,
sub-tread and
shoulder; 10-15% are used in the sidewall; approximately
5% are used in the innerliner and less
than 10% are used in the
remaining parts of a typical passenger car radial tire. In total,
one
passenger tire can contain up to 700 grams of oil.
A lot of studies since 1970 have been done and have, more or less,
proved the carcinogenic
potential of the PCAs. Concern about the
toxicity of highly aromatic oil has led to the usage of nontoxic types
of extender oil. These non-toxic oils are mostly DAE (distillate aromatic extract), TDAE
(treated distillate aromatic extract) and MES (mild extraction solvates).
Existing extender oils can be replaced by RAE (residual aromatic
extract), hydrogenated naphthenic
oils (HNAP) and blends of highly
immobile asphaltenic hydrocarbons. Low molecular weight
polymer also
acts as a process aid during mixing and processing, and is a potential
candidate that
can replace the conventional process oil. It gets cured
along with the rubber and offers better
performance.
Reinforcing materials/fabrics
There are several fibers currently used in carcass reinforcement.
High modulus low shrinkage
(HMLS) polyester (PET) is typically used in
most radial passenger tires and offers a good mix of
properties. Nylon
is used extensively in bias ply tires where strength is paramount. Rayon is the
reinforcement cord of choice in Europe for high performance
tires, due to its ability to maintain
mechanical properties at high
temperature. Aramid fiber offers ultra high performance properties,
but
at a high cost. This cost limits the usage of aramid to high-end luxury
and race car tires.
The performance properties of PEN (polyethylene naphthalate)
present opportunities for
replacement of rayon or polyaramid in carcass
construction. The use of PEN cord in these
applications is currently
being evaluated in both Asia and Europe. PEN has a
demonstrated
acceptable flexural fatigue equivalent to PET and rayon. It has
equivalent toughness
to rayon, which is important for sidewall impact
resistance. PEN's superior mechanical properties
also afford
opportunities to use less fiber in carcass construction, enabling
production of lighter
weight, more fuel-efficient tires.
In radial tires, the carcass provides reinforcement along the
radial direction. To provide
reinforcement in the rolling direction,
belts are necessary (ref. 11). Steel is the traditional material
of
choice, but there has been a drive to replace it with lighter-weight
synthetic cords. Aramids offer
a synthetic alternative, but their cost
has been prohibitive. PEN has good fatigue at low twist and
superior
compressive modulus compared to aramid. This can be translated into a
significant
reduction in tire weight and improvement in fuel usage. In
addition, the use of a polyester fiber like
PEN offers greater
opportunity to recycle used tires.
The cap ply is wound over the shoulders or the entire structure of
the belt to provide a compressive
force, which resists the centrifugal
forces created in the belt at high speed. Nylon 6,6 has been
typically
used for cap ply applications, due to its high retractive force at
elevated temperatures.
PEN cord has been demonstrated to offer similar
properties to nylon at high temperature and is an
excellent replacement
material. Honeywell (formerly Allied Signal) has commercialized a
high
tenacity/high modulus PEN fiber under the trade name Pentex. In January
1999, Pirelli
launched a new tire reinforced with cap made from Pentex
in its Dragon EVO Corsa line of radial
motorcycle tires. PEN's
significantly higher modulus vs. nylon or rayon (360 vs. 50 and 125
g/d.
respectively) gives it the dimensional stability required for these high
performance uses.
Bridgestone, the largest tire company in Japan and second largest
in the world, is also using PEN
cord replacing nylon cap in its Regno
GR7000 tire. In addition to the dimensional stability, the
rigidity that
PEN brings to the tire prevents noise generated by the road surface from
being
transmitted to the car. Tests show that these PEN containing tires
reduce road noise by as much as
30 percent, making the tires ideally
suited for high-end luxury cars, such as the Lexus.
Post vulcanization stabilizer
The reversion characteristics of natural rubber are of great
concern. A lot of novel chemicals have
been introduced to increase the
reversion resistance efficiency of NR. Some examples of these are a
zinc
soap activator (Struktol A73), a silane coupling agent (Si-69), an
anti-reversion agent-Perkalink 900, and post-vulcanization
stabilizers--Duralink HTS and Vulcuren KA 9188. These
materials will
enhance the life of the tire and enable the use of more retreading,
thereby reducing
the material demand (refs. 12-14).
Products
With all-around development, the expectations of tire customers
have also grown. Now, customers
are more demanding and looking for better mileage (tread wear), lower heat build-up, better ride
and
handling (dry and wet traction) and environmental friendliness (i.e.,
low rolling resistance,
reduced noise, more durability and less
pollution). Keeping customers' expectations in mind, major
tire
manufacturers have introduced several innovative products. The
development of super single
tires, run flat technology, active wheel
systems, the Tweel tire, solid tires (closed cellular PU fires)
and
multi air chamber fires are among the major path-breaking achievements
in the recent past of
the tire industry.
Super single tire
The super single fire is a fire that replaces two fires, increases
freight volume by lowering the floor
level, decreases total fire weight
and rolling resistance (RR), decreases tire waste and reduces
materials
(figure 3).
Active wheel system
In an active wheel system, each active wheel is equipped with an
electric motor. The electric motor
not only runs the wheel, but it also
can be used to slow and stop it, so traditional disc or drum
brakes
might eventually be eliminated. By using electric motors to turn the
wheels, the large heavy
The market is still reluctant to adopt these run-flat tires until
there is an integral system that warns
the driver of pressure loss. Many
new 'smart' developments are hitting the markets that
monitor
tire temperatures and pressure. This type of monitoring is also
beneficial to fleet operators
who need to measure and maintain tire
operating pressure to minimize tire wear and fuel
consumption.
Tweel--the tire of the future
Michelin's new innovation, the Tweel, is a single unit
consisting of four pieces, including the hub,
polyurethane spokes, a
shear band surrounding the spokes and tread band. Its high lateral
stiffness
improves cornering. The Tweel can be engineered to give five
times the lateral stiffness as a
pneumatic tire without any loss in ride
comfort. It is impervious to nails on the road. The tread will
last two
to three times as long as today's radial tires, and can be
retreaded again. The Tweel's hub
functions as it would in a normal
wheel. A rigid attachment connects the hub to the axle. The
polyurethane
spokes are flexible to help absorb road impacts. The shear band
surrounding the
spokes effectively takes the place of the air pressure,
distributing the load. The tread is similar in
appearance to a
conventional tire (ref. 15) (figures 5 and 6).
Multi air chamber tire
Bridgestone announced in a news release in February 2006 the
development of a multi air chamber
tire, which has three separate
chambers acting as pressure vessels (ref. 16).
[FIGURE 5 OMITTED]
The all-new type of tire contour was born from extensive R&D
efforts with a view to the future of
tires. The inside of the tire
consists of a main chamber in the center and sub-chambers on both
sides.
The air pressure in each of the chambers can be controlled
independently, making it possible
to adjust the stiffness balance
between the tread area and the left and right sidewalls. This
ensures
ideal contact in any condition, and thus, a more stable and comfortable
drive. It also means
performance can be adjusted in line with customer
needs, such as comfort or maneuverability.
[FIGURE 6 OMITTED]
Also, as the tire is divided into three parts, even if the air
pressure in one of the chambers drops to
0 kPa, caused by a nail
puncture, for instance, the remaining chambers will be able to support
the
weight of the tire, so it will be able to continue to operate for a
specified distance (figure 7).
Manufacturing technology
Over a few decades, tire manufacturing technology has undergone a
series of changes and the tire
has become a high technology product.
There are some differences in manufacturing technologies
adopted by
different companies to achieve these conflicting demands based on their
technical
competency. However, the major players are trying to develop
modular manufacturing systems,
e.g., C3M (carcasse, monofill, moulage at
mechanique) by Michelin, MIRS (modular integrated
robotized system) by
Pirelli, BIRD (Bridgestone innovative rational development) by
Bridgestone, or
IMPACT (integrated manufacturing precision assembly
cellular tech) by Goodyear.
Future challenges in material requirements
Performance requirements, environmental issues and
availability/cost of the material will mainly
drive material
requirements in the future. In order to face a huge tire wastage problem
causing a
major hazard in the environment, future development in rubbery
materials will be focused on
development of thermoplastic polymers so
that used polymers could be recovered by thermal
treatment and
separation, biological degradable by radiation or addition of a chemical
into the
rubber compound that could be activated by exposure to
radiation, and development of a biopolymer.
Solution SBR with a star branched structure, alpha methyl styrene
grades of SBR and high styrene
ESBR are replacing conventional SBR
grades. Neodymium catalyst based BR, epoxidized NR and
synthetic IR as a
substitute for NR are other general-purpose rubbers getting continuous
popularity
due to different reasons. Polyurethane usage in solid tires
(first commercialization by Amerityre
passed FMVSS tests), usage of EPDM with improved filled intake/odor related issues-"Insite"
technology with metallocene catalysts, and increased popularity of
bromobutyl in place of
chloro are other major development in elastomers
to meet growing performance expectations.
In reinforcing materials, double-dipped polyesters for improved
tire durability, plasma treated yams
for improved bonding in the tire,
increased usage of aramid fabric as belt and application of PEN
are the
areas where manufacturers are showing interest. The introduction of new
styles of steel
wire geometry for improved rubber to metal adhesion and
new steel wire coating formulations for
improved rubber to metal bonding
are other focused areas of development.
[FIGURE 7 OMITTED]
A major breakthrough in reinforcing materials can come with the
development of nanofibers that
can be aligned in a polymer matrix and
give high strength to the polymer. This can reduce the
capital equipment
requirement and recycling problem. Successful development of a
molecular
architecture where crystallization of planes within the polymer
structure would give
reinforcement to a flexible amorphous phase could
produce a tire without fabric reinforcement.
Technology challenges
New expressways and highways increase demands for more speed
capability, low cost/high mileage
and energy efficient tires. With the
rapid growth of mining and infrastructure industry in
developing
countries, there is a high demand for OTR tires. New tire technology has
to face
demand arising out of changes in modern vehicles with faster
speed, safety regulations,
mechanization in agriculture and construction
work, continuous crude oil price increases and
aggressive competition.
Technology needs to be geared up for growing radialization that
could reach up to even 90-95% in
developing countries, H and V rated
tires would emerge as brand builders, ride and handling, noise
level,
rolling resistance, etc., as unique selling propositions, and wet skid
becoming a mandatory
requirement. Mileage, coupled with high
performance, would be the future challenge, and
radialization would come
faster. Truck radials are to grow in inter-nodal and bus segments.
LT
radials are used in short haul and hilly terrains. Uniformity, balance,
wet skid, etc., may become
mandatory.
The bias segment will face challenges imposed by radials. This
segment would demand more
mileage with high load carrying capacity and
at higher speeds. Rising fuel cost will increase the cost
pressure--thus
high mileage, fuel efficiency and better retreadability will be the
unique selling
propositions. Mechanization will increase demand for farm
and OTR tires. The emergence of high
HP tractors leading to larger tire
sizes, and radial technology improving mileage and