Intelligent tyres from innovative materials

The tyre industry remains the main application for butyl rubber, with over 80% of the global supply. The world's annual tyre production is seen to achieve 1.7 billion by 2010, up from 1.4 billion in 2005. This anticipated growth contributes largely to the development of synthetic rubber to significantly improve the overall performance of vehicle tyres. Over the years, R&D of big companies led to the discovery of new rubber materials that improved the quality, durability and efficiency of automobile tyres. To achieve safety on wet roads, extreme durability, measurable reductions in fuel use, modern tyres need to meet very high standards. In this regard, the consitent development of synthetic rubber has resulted in a significant improvement in the overall performance of vehicle tires. Lanxess works closely with tyre manufacturers to optimise tyre materials and features. It develops intelligent solutions for innovative rubber materials. Presently, the German specialty chemicals group provides many highlights for the tyre segment. Its performance butadiene rubbers business unit is one of the world's major manufacturers of the synthesis rubber polybutadiene (PBR) and solution styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR). New production processes The new SSBRs have become accessible through intelligent, newly developed production processes. Trials carried out at Lanxess test labs, along with customers, have shown that with these new tyre tread elastomers, it is possible to simultaneously increase the wet grip and the rolling resistance of the tyres to a new level. In the past, these properties were contradictory. "The world's annual tyre production is is expected to reach 1.7 billion by 2010, up from 1.4 billion in 2005." "Current debate on intelligent tyres is focused on the progress that contributes to the field of sensor technology," said Christoph Kalla, global head of marketing, Lanxess' PBR business unit. "This latest development shows how much modern tyre production can profit from using advanced special-purpose rubbers from Lanxess," he added. For example, the latest tyre pressure monitoring systems directly stress the potential of modern butyl and halobutyl rubber grades of Lanxess. The difference between standard and high-end products often includes making difficult changes to the elastomer molecules, an area now that is only mastered by research-intensive premium providers in the rubber sector. The company works to further develop the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) grades that are produced by the solution process called "anionic polymerisation." This technology results in particularly lowbranched rubber molecules, known for their comparatively narrow molecular weight distribution, which rubber experts consider having good abrasion resistance and rolling resistance. It has been found possible to modify these molecules in many ways through their chemically active terminal groups. They can be formed together to improve their processing properties or used with special chemical "anchor points" at the ends to allow the rubber to interact better with fillers, enhancing the rolling resistance of the tyre without impairing the grip on wet roads. Taking this concept a step higher, Lanxess started introducing intelligent solution SBR rubber grades that have anchor points not just at the ends of the molecules but along their entire length. These enable the elastomer to interact with other rubber composition. Laboratoty trials showed that SSBR rubbers have precisely the desired properties that are related to improved wet grip (high tan δ value at 0℃) and, simultaneously, reduced rolling resistance (low tan δ at 60℃). With common rubber types, it is impossible to increase one value without reducing the other. The abrasion level is also very low with these new rubber grades. Also, the positive effect is seen even when makingBodega