Heard about bio-based rubber tyres? Linglong Tyre has showcased world class, bio-based rubber tyres which the company has been developing with Beijing Chemical Industry University for the past three years.
The company mentions that it is due to the combined efforts with Beijing Chemical Industry University which led to the successful creation of this bio-rubber R&D project – ‘Preparation technology and application demonstration of new bio-based rubber materials’ – Linglong says it has produced a wide range of tyres such as the dandelion rubber snow tyres, radial truck tyre based on eucommia rubber and itaconate biosynthesis steel-belted rubber tyres.
Eucommia ulmoides (EU) gum is a natural material that is polymer extracted from Eucommia ulmoides (EU) oliver, which can be applied in the tyre industry to reduce the rolling resistance of the tread compound and save energy.
The tyre manufacturer mentioned that “the solar-source development of a new generation of bio-based rubber was part of its strategy to address the unsustainable production of synthetic rubber and natural rubber as well as the shortage of resources."
The company also mentioned that the tyres have completed third-party evaluation. According to the company, these bio-based rubber tyres can provide superior performance when compared with traditional rubber.
However, The Indian manufacturers have their own ideas for bio-based rubber tyres.
In India, Birla Carbon and GranBio Technologies were the first among others who had announced the introduction of bio-based rubber tyres. These tyres by Birla Carbon and GranBio Technologies were patent-pending NDC rubber masterbatch for qualification by tyre and rubber companies.
Also See:Birla Carbon, GranBio Introduce Bio-Based Tyre Compound
The breakthrough in NDC masterbatch is the result of a three-year joint development program between the two companies designed to address growing sustainability demands from the tyre industry both in terms of improving tyre rolling resistance and vehicle fuel economy through enabling the incorporation of sustainable, bio-derived nanocellulose into commercial rubber compounds.
Kenneth Hill, Chief Commercial Officer, GranBio Technologies had mentioned that “This is a significant milestone in GranBio’s commercialisation of its breakthrough BioPlus nanocellulose technology. GranBio Technologies is committed to bringing renewable technologies to the market to improve sustainability while providing improved product functionality for our customers. We are proud to be partnering with Birla Carbon to bring this solution to market and look forward to seeing the first commercial products literally on the road.”
We could expect such bio-based tyres to be used in the near future. Hey, after all, the Indian tyre manufacturers are well capable of producing supreme tyres and this could be a breeze for them.
