Elkem Silicones has released a white paper on its latest generation of release agents, which are washable and laser cleaning compatible. The company notes that efficient release agents do by their nature contain materials that promote release and are therefore antagonistic to the adhesion performance required for fixing functional equipment inside the tires.
To solve these issues, the company says that multiple approaches are valid. The simplest solution is to use glues based on materials compatible with the release agents’ ingredients. For example, highly efficient release agents most often contain silicone-based release and slip promoting components. Therefore, to ensure adhesion, the simplest solution is to use a silicone-based glue. These also prove to be less sensitive to silicone-based residues on the tire’s inner liner surface.
In cases where the tire manufacturer chooses adhesives that are not of the silicone type, but also in cases where compatibility with tire sealing solutions is required, the removal of traces of release agent from the tire inner liner becomes a necessity.
To address these challenges, Elkem has developed the Lyndcoat BR 1031 product, which it states provides trapped air release while being mica and talc free. It notes that the single release inside paint product has numerous advantages for tire manufacturers. For example, it shows as a yellow/green coat when applied to a green tire inner liner, making it easily visible to tire curing operators, who can ensure an layer of the agent is present and homogenous. Post curing, the agent turns clear, easing the QC process. Furthermore, it is easily cleaned from the tire liner via either washing or laser cleaning.
