A road-approved tire containing 90% sustainable materials has been unveiled by Goodyear at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The announcement follows the tire manufacturer’s presentation of a 70% sustainable material tire in January 2022.
Goodyear states that its latest sustainable material tire has passed all relevant regulatory testing in addition to its own internal testing programs. Compared to a reference tire manufactured using traditional materials, the demonstration tire also benefits from a lower rolling resistance to enable increased fuel savings and a reduced overall carbon footprint.
The demonstration tire consists of 17 ingredients across 12 separate components and includes four different types of carbon black which are produced from methane, carbon dioxide, plant-based oil and end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil feedstocks. These specific carbon blacks have been used to target reduced carbon emissions, circularity and the use of bio-based carbons.
Soybean oil ensures the tire’s rubber compound remains pliable in differing temperature, while helping to reduce the number of petroleum-based products needed for tire production. A high-quality silica manufactured using rice husk waste residue, a byproduct of rice processing, is also used within the tire to provide a high level of grip. Furthermore, polyester from recycled plastic bottles is reverted into base chemicals for use as technical grade polyester within the tire’s cords. ISCC-certified mass balance polymers from bio- and bio-circular feedstock are also included in the demonstration tire.
Bio-renewable pine tree resins replace conventionally used petroleum-based resins to deliver enhanced traction, while bead wire and steel cords with a high-recycled content are used to provide reinforcement within the tire’s structure. The bead wire and steel cords are produced using the electric arc furnace (EAF) process which enables steel to be produced with a reduced amount of energy compared to steel made using a blast furnace.
To bring the 90% sustainable material tire to market, Goodyear will have to work in collaboration with its supply base to identify the scale needed for these specific materials to manufacture the sustainable tire at high volumes. Furthermore, by working with its supply base, Goodyear currently plans to sell a tire with up to 70% sustainable material content in 2023.
“We continue to make progress toward our goal of introducing the first 100% sustainable-material tire in the industry by 2030,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president, global operations, and chief technology officer, Goodyear.
“The past year was a pivotal one toward achieving this goal. We researched new technologies, identified opportunities for further collaboration and utilized our team’s tenacity to not only demonstrate our capabilities to produce a 90% sustainable-material tire, but to also produce a tire with up to 70% sustainable-material content this year. Our team continues to showcase its innovation and commitment to building a better future.”
