Lanxess will present new high-performance additives for the tyre industry at the Tire Technology Expo 2026 in Hannover. With these solutions, the specialty chemicals company is helping tyre manufacturers to stabilise and improve the safety and material efficiency of their processes, reduce their ecological footprint, and enhance the efficiency of modern tyres.
Sustainable alternative to 6PPD: Vulkanox 4060
Against the backdrop of stricter regulatory requirements for the antioxidant 6PPD – particularly in the US, but also within the framework of European legislation – Lanxess developed Vulkanox 4060 (N,N’-dicyclohexyl-1,4-phenylenediamine, CCPD) as an alternative with an optimised environmental profile. In tyre compounds and finished tyres, laboratory and application tests have demonstrated that the product provides comparable protection against oxidative aging.
Lanxess is preparing to register the product in accordance with the European REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation for volumes exceeding 1,000 tonnes. Commercial production is scheduled to begin in the middle of the year.
Aflux SD – efficient processing agent for silica dispersion
Aflux SD is a processing agent for silica that improves the flow behaviour of compounds and the dispersion of fillers, especially when used with functionalised polymers. This additive is made from sustainable raw materials, is free of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), and significantly improves silica dispersion. Among other things, this reduces the Payne effect, i.e., the rolling resistance of tyres, their wear resistance, and wet grip are improved.
Regulation as a driver of innovation
Talc is used in the rubber industry as both a release agent and a filler. However, regulatory pressure on talc is increasing. The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently reclassified talc as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (category 2A).
Due to this classification, talc will be listed prominently in the digital product passport, in accordance with upcoming European Sustainability Product Regulation (ESPR) requirements. Consequently, interest in talc-free products is growing within the industry. As a logical consequence, Lanxess now offers the entire Rhenogran and Rhenoslab portfolio talc-free.
Cohedur RA is a safe alternative to resorcinol in coupling agent systems for textiles or steel cord. It contains no resorcinol, disperses easily, and prevents the blooming effects that typically occur with resorcinol-containing products.
Solutions for the production process
Rhenodiv BO-3900 Pearls Cool is a mineral-free, cold-water-dispersible batch-off release agent that significantly reduces deposits on plant surfaces. Because of its pearl form, the product can be dosed reproducibly and processed completely dust-free. Additionally, Pearls Cool impresses with its sustainable, resource-saving formulation.
The filler-free interior spray solution Rhenodiv BP-338 ensures that the vulcanised tyre can be cleanly and without defects removed from the bladder after vulcanisation. Although the product is not chemically reactive, it achieves the release effect of reactive systems. It requires significantly less material consumption than conventional solutions, and unlike traditional reactive systems, it does not release hydrogen during processing.
Portfolio for tyre production
Lanxess is one of the world’s leading providers of rubber additives and system solutions for the rubber processing industry. The product portfolio includes a wide range of additives specifically used in tyre compounds. These include vulcanising agents and rubber additives in pre-dispersed and other delivery forms, processing accelerators, anti-reversion agents, zinc oxide, antioxidants, and mastication agents. The range of release agents comprises granulated batch-off products, interior spray solutions for single and multiple mold release, and bladder coatings. Outside, finishing, and tyre marking paints complete the portfolio.