Bridgestone Announces Retread Tire Plant Expansion

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) celebrated the expansion of its Bandag manufacturing plant in Abilene, Texas with an official groundbreaking ceremony. Bridgestone said the 50,000-square-foot, $60 million expansion of the Abilene plant is aimed at the growing demand for the company’s tread rubber products.

The expansion includes an immediate increase in operational activity by running on six- and seven-day production schedules, as well as the construction of new mixing operations at the facility. The mixing operations are expected to be completed and in operation by January 2025.

Since 1957, Bandag said it has been responsible for keeping approximately 300 million tires out of the waste system, which helps reduce material emissions, water and energy use associated with the production of a new tire, Bridgestone says. The company also said its retreading process has also saved four billion gallons of oil since it began 50 years ago.

Toyo Tire announced the development of catalysts that convert carbon dioxide into butadiene in high yield in collaboration with the University of Toyama. The company said it and the university successfully synthesized butadiene rubber, a key raw materials for tires, using CO2.

The composition ratios of raw materials used for automobile tires varies by category, and petroleum-derived synthetic rubbers including butadiene units (styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and butadiene rubber (BR)) account for approximately 30% of raw material overall. This being the case, the tire industry has been activating the research of synthesis of butadiene rubber derived from naturally alternative materials (resources) other than petroleum for practical application.