The future of eco-friendly tyre technology is bright and the good news actually came from some of the world’s biggest and prominent tyre companies. All of these now have executed the latest strategies to end using fossil fuel in tyre manufacturing and replace it with sustainable materials/compounds.
The very term
‘eco-friendly’ represents anything which contributes to a cleaner atmosphere and renders no harm to the atmosphere. The eco-friendly factor in tyre manufacturing includes environmental impact throughout the product’s life cycle and after effects once they’re disposed, serving their effective life.
Look for the three
“R” factors when going for eco-friendly
car tyre fitting. These are;
- Raw materials
Among the many essential compounds or raw materials used in manufacturing of the tyres,
carbon black, synthetic rubber, reinforcing fibres and likewise agents are selected as primary elements for improving eco-friendliness. Creation of synthetic rubber through materials derived by plants has been possible with no use of petroleum based content at all. Many different companies are already experimenting in production of synthetic rubber from
biomass (agricultural waste or
plant-derived material).
Big-time companies now also seek finer alternatives to natural rubber thereby reducing environmental impact and logistical expense accrued during import of natural rubber from subtropical states. That being said,
Guayule plants and
Russian dandelion have been identified bearing likewise characteristic to that of natural rubber.
These plants can be grown in many different countries due to harvesting of sustainable raw material which is far more cost effective than rubber trees. That being said, many of the dedicated tyre companies have experimental farms spread across the world as a means to foster production of eco-friendly and commercially viable process.
Another valuable experiment revealed the soybean oil has great potential in the tyres which also increases the tread life by more or less 10%, while reducing consumption of petroleum-based oil to approximately 8.5 million gallons per annum.
Research and development is being performed on sustainable alternatives against petroleum-based carbon black, used as pigment as well as a source to dispel heat from the tread and tyre belts. Various experiments are underway to produce carbon black from biomass ingredients like fats and oils of vegetables.
- Rolling resistance
The energy consumed by tyres when rolled under a certain load is coined as
‘rolling resistance’. The lower the rolling resistance, lesser would be the energy consumed by the car to move on the road. It eventually improves gas mileage and reduced carbon dioxide emission that can seriously harm the environment. A research estimated that around 15% of the car fuel is consumed only to overcome the factor of rolling resistance.
Low Rolling Resistance (LRR) car tyre fitting has improved amazingly during the past years and almost all major manufacturers now offer
LRR tyres.
- Recycle
Heating and hardening of the rubber compounds thus making them functional is referred to as
vulcanisation. Following the process, worn-out tyres can be used for various purposes including fuel derived from tyre, civil engineering and grounded rubber applications. The only drawback is transformation of the rubber which makes it impossible to recycle and retrieve the raw material.
Conclusion
The future of eco-friendly tyres is bright thanks to unshakeable commitment of manufacturers.
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