The Museum of Science in Boston will feature Yokohama Tire Corp.’s eco-friendly orange oil tire technology in a 2-year "Making a Greener Tire" interactive display beginning this fall. The exhibit will highlight BluEarth-1, the company’s latest orange oil-infused passenger car tire.
The display in the museum’s Transportation, Renewable Energy and Nanotechnology area, revolves around the BluEarth-1’s technology, which combines oil extracted from orange peels with silica and natural rubber to form “Super Nano-Power Rubber,” technology that was initially utilized in Yokohama’s dB Super E-spec tire, the company said. The technology allows for less petroleum to be used in the manufacturing process and reduces rolling resistance by up to 20%, Yokohama added.
“The exhibit is extremely gratifying for Yokohama because it validates our commitment to technology that will protect Earth,” said Yasushi Tanaka, Yokohama president and CEO. “Yokohama is a technology-driven company with a global mandate to protect the environment. In fact, our new overall global environmental initiative is called ‘BluEarth,’ which includes the BluEarth-1 tire. BluEarth is our product engineering philosophy aimed at producing tires that are environmentally-, socially-, and human-friendly. That’s why we are honored the museum feels our eco-friendly orange oil technology is significant enough to be presented in an exhibit.”
Also featured in the museum’s exhibit will be the BluEarth-1’s Airtex Advanced Liner that is designed to reduce the amount of air seeping out from the tire.
The BluEarth-1, available now in Japan and Europe, will launch in the U.S. in 2012 in three sizes for hybrids and other vehicles, including the Toyota Prius, Mini Cooper, and VW Golf and Jetta, Yokohama said.
