Tyres are a complex and silent revolution
Tyres, or the small patch the size of your hand which makes contact with the road surface, keeps you on the road and although this sounds simple the technology that goes into their manufacture is not.
By 2050 all tyres will be made from sustainable materials. This will include waste products from agriculture, such as the ash from rice husks, rubber from dandelions and recycled rubber or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
Claus Petschick, head of sustainability at Continental Tires, “Continental is on the road toward becoming the most progressive manufacturer in the tyre industry in terms of sustainability. We aim to use 100% sustainable materials in our tyre products by 2050 at the latest.”
He adds, “Our innovative power enables us to break new and even more sustainable ground. This encompasses everything from the origin and sourcing of our materials through to the reuse and recycling of our tyres.”
Current manufacturing processes use 15 to 20% of recycled material.
Tyre applications and demands are very specific which makes for a dynamic and complex manufacturing process. Their precise composition has a major impact on the tyres and their handling characteristics.
Natural rubber, essential for ensuring outstanding tyre performance still makes for 10 to 14% of tyre compound. Continental considers natural rubber a sustainable material only if it is sourced responsibly.
Continental is working alongside partners on industrialising the extraction of natural rubber from specially cultivated dandelion plants. Plant-based oils, such as rapeseed oil and resins based on residual materials from the paper and wood industries, already offer an alternative to crude oil-based fillers in Continental’s tyres.
Continetal’s intent is circular systems which utilize renewable and recycled raw materials by 2050.
“Recycled raw materials are going to play a big role in making tyres more sustainable. We use recycled materials whenever possible. Comparable quality and material properties to conventional raw materials are crucial for us,” says Petschick.
Recycled PET has already replaced conventional polyester in the structures of some tyre casings. The PET bottles used are sourced exclusively from regions where there is no closed recycling loop.
Source: QuickPic
