Pirelli says it is “going greener” with rice husks. In 2012, the Italian company stated it had investigated the properties of silica produced from rice husks and was calculating the carbon footprint for this product; now on its company Facebook page, the tyre maker refers to a text published by The Economist, which reports that rice husk-derived silica could provide a third of Pirelli’s silica requirements in Brazil within the next two years.
On 27 July Metzeler chose London as the host city for an ‘opening ceremony’ of its own, the global debut of its Feelgreen tyre. The new range, which from 2014 onwards will be supplied as original equipment on BMW’s electric C evolution scooter (120/70 R15 on the front and 160/60 R15 on the rear), is designed with an emphasis on minimising rolling resistance.
Two-wheel tyre specialist Metzeler has launched a new scooter product at the Olympic Games. The Feelgreen is being used by some journalists as they move around the London venues; the tyre has been chosen as original equipment by BMW for its electric C evolution scooter, which was introduced at an international press conference on the opening day of the Games. The new scooter will be fitted with the Metzeler Feelgreen in size 120/70 R15 on the front and 160/60 R15 on the rear, and will be sold from 2014 as exclusive original equipment on the BMW electric scooter, as well as in the replacement market.
On September 2, Kumho Tires celebrated its 50th anniversary in South Korea with the launch of a new product, the Majesty Solus. Some 200 guests attended a ceremony at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul to mark both the milestone and the new tyre’s release.
Nankang has developed a new environmental tyre, the Eco-1, and reports it takes further the fuel-saving performance of the company’s Eco tyre range. The Eco-1 is, says the Taiwanese manufacturer, designed with a silica ‘eco-compound’ material that reduces rolling resistance 14 per cent in comparison to a conventional tyre. Despite this, Nankang states that this focus on fuel efficiency has not sacrificed or compromised the tyre’s wet grip.
Techking reports an upcoming UHP addition to its Effiplus range of passenger car tyres. Called ‘Himmer II’, the new tyre will employ a full silica compound in order to deliver lower rolling resistance. Techking states the Himmer II’s asymmetrical tread pattern improves wet and dry grip, while the tyre’s shoulder area tread is designed in a way that controls the circulation of air between the tread blocks, thereby reducing noise.
Techking Tires reports that its latest generation truck tyres, scheduled for an April 2010 launch, will feature all-new design, features and performance. These features include, Techking reports, 15 degree ETL (Enhanced Tread Life) design, Techking ‘Force’ pattern design and a computer optimised shoulder design. These features, it adds, increase mileage and durability. Furthermore, heat release efficiency has particularly been taken into account in the new generation tyres.
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.
Semperit’s tyre, the Speed-Life represents the Continental second-brand’s affordable entry into the high performance market place. It benefits from an advanced generation silica compound, which gives the tyre better handling characteristics in the wet as well as reduced fuel consumption.
The use of offset tread blocks of varying sizes enables the contact between the tyre and the road to be staggered, this minimises the noise output to give a quiet and comfortable drive.
From an ecological point of view, the new Pirelli Cinturato P7 offers three headline benefits – a CO2 emission reduction of up to 4 grams per kilometre driven, 30 per cent lower noise emissions and a 4 per cent fuel saving. Pirelli’s clincher (particularly aimed at current and potential OE customers) is that it is already in position to meet the targets set by the new EU regulations that are due to take effect from 2011 and that it does this without compromising on wet or dry performance. However, none of this explains how the company is able to achieve these goals.
In mid-February, Pirelli gave details of how its 2009 – 2011 industrial plan means the company will have an increasingly “green” focus. In particular Pirelli committed to developing a series of new materials that for use in tyre compounds. One particular silica rich material is rice husk ash (RHA). Pirelli is already (as far as the technological requirements are concerned) in a position to use this material in tyre production this year. However, the material is currently the subject of a large scale viability study focusing on the availability of the kind of tonnages needed for tyre industral scale tyre manufacturing. Tyres & Accessories understands that Pirelli already has research and development teams in place in Brazil and the areas surround Milan, which just happen to be some of the best rice production areas in the world.
Giti Tire USA has introduced the Champiro 228, a “performance touring” line of 15 H- and V-rated sizes. The new tyre features Giti’s “Nanotek” silica tread compound for wet/dry grip and lower rolling resistance, four circumferential grooves for water dispersion, shoulder grooves to resist hydroplaning, and a low noise tread design. The Champiro 228 is now available to dealers in 16- and 17-inch wheel diameters. (Tire Review/Akron)
Interstate Tires has introduced a new line of tyres, called Sport SUV GT, which comprises a number of popular replacement sizes for small and full size SUVs. The tyres are being marketed as Interstate’s first low rolling resistance SUV tyres, with consequent fuel saving benefits, but without sacrificing tread life or traction.
Michelin India has announced an agreement to supply its silica based compound tyre Energy XM1 tyre as OE to the new Honda City in the Indian market.
“This initiative is part of our long term strategy for India and has also strengthened our relationship with Honda and we hope to continue with this relationship” said Mr. Jean Paul Caylar, the CEO of Michelin in India.
Rhodia and Dow Corning Corporation have announced an agreement for the development and commercialisation of new silica/silane products to support the tyre industry’s drive for energy efficient, safer motoring.
This agreement aims to develop and commercialise innovative silica/silane combinations, principally for the tyre industry where the association of precipitated silica and silane is used in low-energy tyres to help reduce the rolling resistance and hence the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The silane is the component which enhances the interaction between polymer and silica.
The Kumho Asiana Group has held its ‘5th Kumho Asiana Group Technology Awards Ceremony’ in South Korea. The ceremony in Seoul was attended by some 150 executives, including Kumho Asiana Group chairman Sam-Koo Park. This year the company’s technology award was presented to three employees from the Kumho Petrochemical rubber research team, along with team director Young-Hoon Koh. In total, ten teams were honoured with awards at the ceremony.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
