Lanxess Releases New Tyre Additive

Specialty chemicals group Lanxess has developed a new high-performance rubber additive. Known as Nanoprene, this material additive for tyre tread compound is reported to significantly reduce the rate of wear in a tyre. Lanxess adds that this reduction in wear achieved through the use of this additive does not in any way impact on rolling resistance or wet grip.

“Boosting tyre service life without losing other key tread properties was a major challenge for the rubber industry,” explains Nanoprene developer Professor Werner Obrecht, rubber expert at the Lanxess Technical Rubber Products (TRP) business unit. “Despite all the positive developments of the last 20 years, after travelling around 40,000 kilometres, the tread pattern is normally worn and new tyres are then needed. This is not only annoying for the customer, since the fine rubber particles created by the tyre wear ultimately end up in the environment.”

Nanoprene, says Lanxess, reduces the compromise that has traditionally taken place between fuel consumption, wet and dry performance and resistance to wear. In chemical terms, the additive consists of particles of only around 50 nanometers that are made from polymerised styrene and butadiene – the “traditional” rubber raw materials found within a tyre. What Lanxess says makes all the difference is the minimal size and surface functionality that is offered by a specialised Lanxess production process. The nanoparticles, with their swell-resistant, highly cross-linked core, have special “anchor points” on their surface, enabling the Nanoprene particles to be perfectly linked with silica and silanes. “Adding Nanoprene to a tread mix containing silica improves wear resistance and grip. At the same time, rolling resistance remains at a low level. The “magic triangle” is therefore extended,” says Professor Obrecht, highlighting the physical and chemical relationships.

Lanxess reports that the use of Nanoprene does not create disadvantages on the process engineering side. Tyre manufacturers can, unlike with most “traditional” additives, retain their tried and tested rubber formulations and yet significantly cut wear caused by abrasion. “Nanoprene may be viewed very much as a sort of spice that makes a good recipe even better,” says Obrecht.

The first products containing this additive are already on the market, and Nanoprene is currently undergoing extensive tests with selected tyre manufacturers. The Nanoprene product range will be expanded in the near future with further grades that vary, for example, in terms of their glass transition temperature, and are thus even better suited to specific types of tyre. “With Nanoprene, we haven’t just succeeded in making a specialty product out of ordinary SBR tyre rubber,” explains Obrecht. “This innovation sees us living up to our reputation as a premium supplier and technology leader in the industry.”