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Measuring from as miniscule as 2 nanometres, specialty silica can impart sustainability in tyres, thus driving demand.
It is impossible to imagine vehicles without fossil fuels. Globally, transportation accounts for 62.3% of petroleum consumption, according to American non-profit organisation Centre for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) information. Owing to the massive use of fossil fuels, vehicles are ranked among the top contributors to air pollution. Moreover, the automotive industry accounts for about 15% of global carbon emissions, or 8 billion tonnes/year, UK-headquartered consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says, as it tackles the sustainability issue in the automotive industry.
Tyres, which are an integral part of a vehicle, also determine the amount of pollutants released by the vehicle, according to Transparency Market Research, in its Green Tires Market report. It says that the rolling resistance of a vehicle is crucial in this context, meaning, the higher the rolling resistance of a vehicle, the more energy it requires to overcome the friction and the more pollutants it releases. Thus, reducing rolling resistance in tyres, without placing the drivers in danger with reduced friction, aid in minimising the pollutants vehicles are releasing into the environment, at the same time, conserving energy consumption.
Niche in green tyres
Green tyre designs are catering to environmental sustainability; and these tiny specks of chemical compounds, the specialty silica, are adding the “green” factor into some of those tyres. Used as reinforcement agent, silica enables reduced rolling resistance in tyres compared to carbon black. Specialty silica, made predominantly from silica or silicon dioxide (SiO2), are gaining entrée into the automotive sector along wide adoption in rubbers and production of green tyres that offer benefits such as reduced rolling resistance and optimised fuel consumption to drive demand.
Cleveland, Ohio-headquartered Freedonia, in its report World Specialty Silicas, dittos the growing demand for specialty silica in tyre rubber due to the rising adoption of green tyres. This is also aided by the introduction of tyre labelling regulations in several countries, which are meant to improve the performance qualities of tyres. Freedonia forecasts that by 2020, green tyres would represent more than 40% of all tyres produced worldwide.
According to US market intelligence firm, Persistence Market Research, the global silica market can be segmented as precipitated silica sol, the largest market segment of specialty silica market due to its increased use in automotive tyres; silica gel, and fumed silica.
Among other applications, rubber is anticipated to witness substantial growth, with a CAGR of more than 7.2% of the overall volume share through 2022, according to a report by Grandview Research. Beyond the automotive segment, applications are seen to grow especially in manufacturing of conveyor belts, transmission belts, rice rollers, PVC sheets, thermoplastic rubbers, shoe soles, and silicon tubes, Grandview Research says.
With such sizeable market opportunities, the market for specialty silica is expected to expand. Transparency Market Research, in its report, forecasts that global precipitated silica market value could score US$ 3.49 billion by 2023 from US$2.11 billion in 2014. It is anticipated to post a CAGR of 5.8% between 2015 and 2023.
Meanwhile, Grandview Research says that Asia Pacific (APAC) is the largest market of the specialty silicas followed by Europe and North America. The growth in the APAC region is due to the sizable Chinese market, especially in the automotive industry. China accounts for more than half of the total market share of specialty silica in the region, followed by India and Japan.
Rolling out tyres
The automotive industry is steering towards environmental-friendly designs in vehicles and parts, and that includes tyres. Adding precipitated silica to tyre treads, for example, is found to deliver this result.
Tyremaker Bridgestone Americas and PPG, a US precipitated silica producer, have partnered to roll out energy-efficient truck and buses tyres with specialised silica. This project is a means to further Bridgestone’s environment commitment, which includes “producing sustainable products in the most sustainable way”, and to achieve the company’s mid-term target of 35% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020.
The US$1.25 million US Department of Energy (DOE)-funded collaborative project focuses on improving the fuel efficiency of truck and bus radial tyres using PPG’s Agilon performance silica platform. The goal of the project is to deliver prototype tyres to DOE that help trucks and buses achieve fuel-efficiency improvements of 4 to 6%, while maintaining or improving tear strength and tread wear. Research and development work for the project, which had gotten the heads-up with the funding in February this year, will be completed at PPG’s Monroeville, Pennsylvania, facility.
Improving the fuel efficiency of trucks and buses would provide significant economic and environmental benefits, PPG says, citing the DOE findings that in the US alone, while heavy-duty vehicles comprise only 4% of all vehicles on roads, consume approximately 20% of all fuel. PPG estimates that if even 25% of all tractortrailers on the road improved fuel efficiency by 4%, they would consume 750 million fewer gallons of diesel fuel annually, saving nearly US$2 billion and reducing CO2 emissions by nearly 8 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, Goodyear has been actively in pursuit to developing sustainable tyres. In its Akron innovation centre, the tyre maker has started developing silica from rice husk ash. In 2015, it announced that it was using the biobased silica in tyres being produced in its Pulandian, China plant, and is to be sold in China.
Recently, global tyre manufacturer Maxxis, debuted its new tyre designs, including high-performance tyres and run-flat tyres at a show in Germany held May this year. Among its showcased tyres were the new Premitra HP5 tyre for luxury and passenger cars, which features three central ribs and uses a full-silica compound that Maxxis says renders durability in the tyre; and its new M36+ run flat tyre, which has an asymmetrical tread design and an advanced silica-rich compound for ultra-highperformance summer tyre, complete with enhanced wet and dry grip.
Run-flat tyre is also a latest offering by Singapore-headquartered Omni United. The Dimax R8+ run-flat ultra-high-performance tyre model, a new addition to its Radar brand features silica tread compound technology for improved wear and grip, as well as an asymmetric tread pattern for improved handling at high speeds; and wide circumferential grooves to provide safety in wet and dry conditions. Omni adds that all run-flat sizes are constructed using the latest reinforcing materials technology available, including the exclusive Radar Runflat Insert Technology (RRIT), thus giving a smooth ride under normal operating conditions, and maintaining mobility when running in a run-flat condition.
UK-based Landsail Tyres has recently launched a new premium performance tyre, the LS588, an upgrade to its LS988 pattern. According to Landsail Tyres, the LS588’s advanced silica tread compound helps in reducing rolling resistance, and thus enabling increased fuel efficiency; further, it has a high tech computeraided design that has optimised the tread pitch and alignment for lower road noise at higher speeds. The added sipes and grooves improve hydroplaning resistance and better handling on wet roads, while the tread design creates a much larger contact area allowing better stability, cornering and control in dry conditions, according to Landsail Tyres.
Last but not the least in the roster of tyre manufacturers producing silica-enhanced tyres, California-based Toyo Tire USA has introduced also earlier this year its Toyo M677, a SmartWayverified drive tyre designed for regional and long haul operations. The M677, which features Toyo’s proprietary environmentally-friendly truck and bus tyres technology platform called e-balance, is a fourgroove tyre that utilises the lower rolling resistance benefit of a new silica compound as well as its large tread blocks and a closed, high-rigidity shoulder rib for fuel economy, while maintaining great traction and excellent wear performance.