Tyre manufacturer Continental and global reinforcer Kordsa have announced the production of the first of 250,000 passenger car tyres featuring their new sustainable adhesive technology, Cokoon. The eco-friendly dip technology – under development since 2017 – enables the bonding activation of textile reinforcing materials with rubber compounds, without the use of resorcinol and formaldehyde in the textile dip. Cokoon is offered to all tyre manufacturers and their suppliers as an open source solution; Continental and Kordsa have chosen to “waive development or licensing fees” and expect licensees to make their patents concerning the further enhancement of this technology. It will be available to partners via a licensing poolhandled by the independent law firm AdvInno, at zero cost.
Resorcinol and formaldehyde are commonly used in the bonding activation of textile reinforcing materials and surrounding rubber matrix, which are in turn used in tyre manufacturing and also in the production of mechanical rubber goods such as hoses and conveyor belts. With Cokoon dip technology, the replacement of resorcinol and formaldehyde with more environmentally-friendly alternatives does not require any changes in process equipment, ensures a sustainable supply chain, and benefits tyre cord manufacturers. In addition, plant employees and end-consumers are not exposed to these substances.
The introduction of Cokoon has garnered a lot of attention within the industry –over 40 companies, including tyre manufacturers, converters, and textile suppliers, have expressed an interest in the new bonding system technology; at least 20 of these have received testing samples.
Dr. Andreas Topp, VP Material and Process Development/Industrialisation at Continental Tires said: “The sampling process was a big success and exceeded our expectations. Feedback from the industry encouraged us to proceed with the integration of Cokoon into our tyres and to begin series production of the first tyres back in 2019.”
“Expanding use of the Cokoon technology in our tyre production in 2020 and in the following years is a high priority for us,” he added.
Meanwhile, Devrim Özaydin, Global Technology Director at Kordsa, outlines the underlying idea: “With Cokoon, we want to implement a sustainable industry-wide standard for bonding textiles and rubber. We therefore invite all interested parties to join the pool, obtain free licensing, contribute to the enhancement of this new open technology and introduce Cokoon into their mass production.”