Developing “Green” Tires That Boost Mileage and Cut Carbon Dioxide Emissions

C&EN Senior Editor Alexander Tullo explains that rolling resistance — the friction that tires encounter when rolling — are a major factor in a vehicle’s fuel economy. It can determine up to 20 percent of fuel economy. Overcoming it accounts for 4 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.

For years, tire makers and their raw material suppliers have been eyeing lower rolling resistance as a way to boost fuel economy and promote a cleaner environment. But they have been thwarted by a principle in the tire world called the “magic triangle of tire technology.” It holds that an improvement to rolling resistance has to come at the expense of wet-road grip and durability.

That barrier is now falling, thanks to the development of new materials, including new forms of silica and nanomaterials. These new materials include a nanogel that improves abrasion resistance, grip and rolling resistance of tires as well as a newly-developed resin that helps tires retain air longer. But there’s a catch: Motorists still will have to keep tires properly inflated to take full advantage of the new technology, the article notes.

ARTICLE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“Stretching Tires’ Magic Triangle”
This story is available at
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/87/8746cover.html
Science Inquiries: Michael Woods, editor
m_woods@acs.org
202-872-6293
General Inquiries: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042