Marangoni, a tire retread and retread equipment developer, has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with Directa Plus plc, a producer and supplier of graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets.
Marangoni and Directa Plus will work together to develop a bespoke version of the Directa’s Graphene Plus (“G+”) to improve the performance of Marangoni compounds in truck and bus tire retreading. Directa Plus graphene-based products are natural, chemical-free, sustainably produced and tailored to specific customer requirements for commercial applications such as smart textiles, tires, composite materials and environmental solutions.
By incorporating Directa Plus’ unique graphene blends, identified by the G+ brand, its customers can enhance the performance of their end products without significantly increasing their cost.
Under the terms of the agreement, Directa Plus will start working with Marangoni to develop a bespoke G+ product to be used in Marangoni’s specialist rubber compounds in the tire retreading sector. The incorporation of G+ is expected to improve the performances of retreaded tires and retreading materials, by increasing grip, durability and fuel efficiency. The potential developments have the potential to extend the lifespan of the tire, ensure the efficient use of resources and reduce waste.
Marangoni says the agreement is built on a shared vision of combining scientific innovation with leading tire technology. Dino Maggioni, Chief Executive Officer of Marangoni said:
“The collaboration with Directa Plus is aimed at doing a quantum leap for the performance of our retreading solutions by perfecting the use of graphene,” said Dino Maggioni, CEO of Marangoni. “After a comprehensive exploration of the existing technology providers, we found a perfect alignment with Directa Plus. We strongly believe that joining forces with them will allow us to shorten our time to market in our quest of providing products having superior durability and rolling resistance as well as outreach our environmental sustainability roadmap.”
Giulio Cesareo, CEO of Directa Plus, echoed Maggioni’s sentiments.
“Marangoni’s approach to tire retreading is fully aligned with our core principle of using technology to promote environmental sustainability,” he said. “This is why we are excited to demonstrate how the positive benefits of G+ can further improve Marangoni’s truck tire retreading compounds. Our team already has experience of successfully tailoring and developing bespoke G+ to enhance commercially available tires. We look forward working with Marangoni to move to market the latest ideas we developed for tire applications and thereby helping to reduce the environmental impact of tire disposal around the world.”
