Although not a tiremaker in its own right, Lanxess supplies its synthetic rubbers to major manufacturers around the world. But to demonstrate the company’s competence in product innovation and its solutions for green tires, Lanxess has entered the tiremaking business, albeit on a very small scale – the German specialty chemicals company has produced an "AA" rated concept tire. 
The size 205/55 R16 91H tire, one of the first publically-shown products capable of earning a European tire label double-A rating, was tested under EC 1222/2009 by TUV SUD Automotive this month. As a one-off, the tire serves as a rolling billboard for materials rigorously tested by Lanxess and offered to its tire industry customers. Furthermore, the AA concept tire demonstrates the ability of Lanxess’ neodymium-based performance butadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) to increase tire durability, especially in AA-rated tires. Although durability does not feature as a criterion on the EU tire label, Lanxess is certain it will be a key differentiation factor among top-ranked tires.
“We believed that creating our own concept tire was essential to developing a thorough command of our high-tech solutions and their significance to the finished product,” said Dr. Joachim Grub, head of the performance butadiene rubbers business unit at Lanxess. “We are now moving from the age of tire design to the age of tire materials, which will make the difference in performance.”
Lanxess observes that traditionally, tiremakers have operated within what it calls the “magic triangle” of tire design, which means that an improvement in durability has always come at the expense of either rolling resistance or wet grip. Several tiremakers claim to have overcome this conflict; Lanxess promotes its Nd-PBR and solution styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR) as solutions for tiremakers producing green tires. SSBR is mainly used in the tire’s tread compound.
Green tire sector growing 10% annually
Lanxess claims to be the market leader for Nd-PBR used in green tires, the fastest growing sector within the tire industry. Currently the green tire market enjoys an annual global growth rate of about 10%, with demand driven to a large extent by tire labeling legislation and a growing, affluent middle class in Asia and Latin America.
The European label is expected to raise the profile of green tires with consumers; Lanxess reports findings from the Technical University of Munich that anticipate A and B class tires will achieve a market share of 20% to 30% in the European Union in 2017 and then jump to 70% to 80% in 2022. Other countries also have embarked on their own labeling schemes. Japan introduced a voluntary label in 2010 and Korea the following year; Korea’s tire label becomes mandatory at the same time as Europe’s. The U.S. and Brazil also are investigating label options, while Lanxess is working with the China Rubber Industry Association toward developing and implementing tire labeling in China.
Savings to be made
Studies show that 20% to 30% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption and 24% of road vehicle CO2 emissions are tire-related. Green tires can reduce fuel consumption by 5% to 7% and have a shorter cost amortization period in comparison to other fuel-saving technologies in cars. To help calculate the potential savings motorists can make, Lanxess has launched a new fuel savings calculator, which the company said serves as “a particularly valuable accessory in these times of record fuel prices.”
The fuel savings calculator answers three main questions: How much money can I save by using fuel-efficient or green tires? How long does it take before the tires have paid for themselves? And what is the reduction in the car’s CO2 emissions? The software was developed in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich, and then tested and certified by TUV Rheinland. The free Lanxess app for smartphones, tablets and web-enabled PCs is available from both the Apple Appstore, and at http://app.green-mobility.com. (Tyres & Accessories)
