Cellulose a Potential Silica Replacement – Study

Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) in the US have come across a potential replacement for silica as a reinforcing filler in tyres. Microcrystalline cellulose, which can be produced from almost any type of plant fibre, is a micrometer-sized type of crystalline cellulose that can be produced through the low-cost process of acid hydrolysis using cellulose, the component that comprises about 40 to 50 per cent of wood.

In their study, OSU researchers replaced up to around 12 per cent of the silica used in conventional tyre manufacture. The use of microcrystalline cellulose decreased the amount of energy needed to compound the rubber composite, improved heat resistance and retained tensile strength. The study also showed that wet traction was comparable to that of conventional tyres, while rolling resistance at high temperatures was lower. Replacing approximately 11.8 per cent of the silica with microcrystalline cellulose proved to be optimal for maintaining wet traction and decreasing hot-weather rolling resistance.