Yokohama, together with rubber friction expert Dr. Bo Persson, has developed the world’s first theoretical model for predicting rubber wear on surfaces with multiscale roughness.
Persson is a globally renowned researcher in the fields of contact, friction, wear, and lubrication, including rubber friction. He works at Peter Grünberg Institute (Germany) and Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (China) and runs a company called Multiscale Consulting (Germany) that supports companies in the rubber industry and beyond in addressing various challenges. Persson’s unique approach to contact mechanics and rubber friction has been documented in numerous peer-reviewed academic journals and verified by other scientists, proving its effectiveness in solving a wide range of problems. He was the recipient of the Tire Technology International Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.
Yokohama entered into a contract with Multiscale Consulting to collaborate with Persson in studying friction and wear on rubber and road surfaces. As a result, they successfully developed the world’s first theoretical model for multiscale (ranging from nanometer to centimeter levels) rubber wear behavior on uneven road surfaces, for which theorization had been difficult in the past. Experiments measuring rubber wear behavior when sliding in both dry and wet conditions at different contact pressures and sliding speeds showed that the theoretical model’s predictions of wear-rates (mass loss per unit of sliding distance) and size distribution of wear particles aligned closely with the experimental results, confirming that the model could be used for such predictions.
Yokohama plans to continue conducting research with Persson and Multiscale Consulting in order to pursue the development of tires with high-level wear resistance. Additionally, the company aims to contribute to resolving environmental issues caused by tire wear, which is becoming increasingly important amid the increase in heavy electrified vehicles such as EVs.
