The modern tire is a high-tech product that has to be safe on wet roads, extremely durable and meet fuel consumption standards. LANXESS works closely with tire manufacturers on the optimization of tire materials and attributes.

Estimates say that tires account for approximately one-fifth of a vehicle’s total fuel consumption, so buying fuel-efficient tires pays off, as does maintaining the tires’ air pressure. (Insufficient pressure increases the resistance a tire encounters on contact with the road and hence increases fuel consumption.) Every litre of petrol that can be saved while driving reduces the burden on the climate and helps conserve natural resources.

LANXESS develops new and improved rubber materials such as polybutadiene rubber for tire manufacturers that substantially reduce a tire’s rolling resistance, which is the friction it encounters as it grips the road. As a consequence, fuel consumption is lower, which translates to less emission of carbon dioxide.

For decades, tire designers have sought to reduce rolling resistance as a way to improve fuel economy. However, there is a trade off. If you reduce rolling resistance, you will typically reduce a tire’s ability to grip a wet road. Better rolling resistance has also typically translated to a tire with lower durability. But things are changing today, thanks to materials science, including newly developed nanomaterials such as nanoprene from LANXESS. Nanoprene is an additive made for tire treads that lowers rolling resistance without sacrificing wet grip or durability. It is being used by tire manufacturers to boost performance of tires.

LANXESS has nearly 100 years of experience in the development and production of rubber and rubber chemicals and continues to provide state-of-the-art solutions for today’s challenges.