Raw Materials
Yokohama Off-Highway Tires Europe Middle East and Africa (YOHT EMEA) has announced across-the-board price increases of 4.5 to 5.5 per cent. An official statement specified that the first price increase of 4.5 to 5.5 per cent was implemented on 1 Jan 2021. The new pricing will apply to the entire portfolio of Yokohama Off-Highway Tires EMEA (including the Alliance and Galaxy brands) and will take effect from 1 April 2021.
Improving a tyre’s wear efficiency by up to 30 per cent while decreasing rolling resistance by up to six per cent without affecting any other performance area sounds like a tall order. But Bridgestone says that it has achieved this together with partners Arlanxeo and Solvay. The three firms presented Techsyn, the fruit of two years of collaboration, during an online presentation this afternoon.
As of 1 March 2021, the price of the rubber materials that Marangoni Retreading Systems supplies for tyre retreading will increase by 0.20 euros per kilogramme in all European markets. Marangoni says this increase reflects price increases for raw materials used within the sector.
Bridgestone Corporation reports it has developed a new technology for improving the rubber productivity of guayule plants. It worked on this technology in a joint development project with Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, a company perhaps better known for beer and other beverages.
Vipal Rubber is researching the possibility of using rice husk residue as a raw material for the rubber industry, the result of a partnership between Vipal, the University of Caxias do Sul, in Brazil, and Lodz Poland University of Technology. Goodyear released a rice husk silica tyre in China in mid-2015, before announcing in November 2020 that is would double its rice husk usage by 2021; and Pirelli announced that it was researching the use of rice husk ash in new tyre compounds back in April 2009; but Vipal is the first retreading compound maker to go public with its use of rice husks in compounding.
Nexen Tire Europe has announced plans to raise tyre prices across the board. According to the company, the price hike is due to rising raw material costs “as well as freight and logistics costs”.
The dream of securing natural rubber supplies in the vicinity of production facilities and reducing dependency upon hevea rubber plantations has preoccupied Bridgestone Corporation for the past decade. Early in 2018 it announced a collaboration with genomic big data company NRGene to advance the commercialisation of guayule, and today Bridgestone shared the results of this four-year project. The combined effort has resulted in the partners successfully assembling a specific guayule genome.
According to OECD estimates, the world will be home to more than 2.4 billion cars by 2050, around a billion more than exist today. This significant rise in the global vehicle parc will result in much higher demand for the raw materials needed to manufacture tyres. Bridgestone has turned to big data to help optimise rubber yields, and reports developing a system that leads to higher long-term yields.
The German Sustainability Award project is hailed as “Europe’s premier award for environmental and social engagement.” Held annually since 2008 and oriented towards the goals of Agenda 2030, the multi-stakeholder, government-supported awards honour those working towards a more sustainable future. Awardees for 2021 include Continental, whose Urban Taraxagum bicycle tyre caught the judging panel’s attention. The tyre is an award-winner in the Responsible Design category.
Nynas has exited company reorganisation after Swedish courts confirmed the process is now complete following a creditors meeting. The court’s decision is effective 21 December 2020. After this, Nynas will no longer be limited by reorganisation regulations.
Goodyear has set the goal of fully replacing petroleum-derived oils by 2040 by switching to “materials that deliver best-in-class quality and performance”. But how? And which materials? That’s where soybeans come in.
In addition to the tyre manufacturers listed, at least two of the best-known manufacturing material suppliers were also listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index effective 23 November 2020 – Arkema and Lanxess.
Recycled plastics will become a raw material within new tyres in future. This is a key intended application of a technology that the Michelin Group is exploring under a new joint development agreement with Canadian firm Pyrowave. Michelin ultimately intends to invest more than 20 million euros in the joint development agreement and combine its industrial know-how with Pyrowave’s expertise.
Most commonly found in nature as quartz, silica is one of the world’s most abundant, durable and useful minerals. While predominantly used in glass production, industrial-grade silica in its finest form is also mixed with rubber to strengthen tyre treads and reduce rolling resistance. But although silica is by no stretch of the imagination in short supply, Goodyear is doubling its commitment to obtain this material from an alternative source.
Synthetic rubber and plastics manufacturer Trinseo has reached definitive agreements with Swiss sustainable tyre recycling specialist Tyre Recycling Solutions (TRS) on a commercial collaboration and an equity investment in TRS. The transaction is expected to close later this quarter, subject to ordinary closing conditions.
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Yokohama OHT EMEA
Vipal
Bridgestone Corporation
Bridgestone Corporation
Nynas
Goodyear