China produced more than 500 million radial tyres in 2013. And China’s fast growing automotive market bolsters the country’s position as the world’s major tyre producer. Thus, it was apt that the China Rubber conference was held in Qingdao from March 25-28, hosted by the China Rubber Industry Association (CRIA). At the conference, German speciality chemicals company Lanxess shared its road test results with local tyre makers and rubber makers, demonstrating the fuel and cost saving potential of green tyres. The results came one year after the European Union rolled out mandatory tyre labelling. China also introduced a similar system recently.
“Tyre labelling creates transparency for consumers and helps to reduce CO2 emissions,” said Axel Vassen, Head of Green Tyres Initiative at Lanxess, at the conference. “As a pioneer in high-performance rubbers, our solutions for green tyres can help save a significant amount of fuel through reducing rolling resistance without compromising on safety or mileage.”
In order to push forward sustainable tyre manufacturing and promote “green tyres”, tyres with lower rolling resistance that could save 5% to 7% of fuel consumption, CRIA has recently introduced Green Tyre Technology Specification in China based on the European Union tyre label system which classifies tyres from A to G in terms of fuel efficiency and wet grip.
“Top labels require high-performance rubbers, so tyre makers are increasingly looking to work together with highly specialised synthetic rubber manufacturers. Catering to the needs of our customers and partners, we are focusing more on innovations in this area,” said Vassen. “And we are very pleased to leverage our global expertise and insights into green tyres and offer technical support to the Chinese market,” added Vassen.
In 2013, Lanxess signed a Letter of Intent with CRIA to cooperate closely on promoting green tyres in China. According to the LOI, Lanxess shares its expertise with the CRIA on selected raw materials for green tyre manufacturing and what the company learned from the European Union’s tyre labelling implementation.
Lanxess is the global leader in high performance rubber, especially for the tyre industry. The company provides a wide portfolio of premium rubbers in applications such as tread, sidewall and inner liners. In particular, it says its Nd-PBR and SSBR products can enable “Green Tyres” to reach their peak performance with formulations.
Nd-PBR is used in the treads and sidewalls of “Green Tyres”. It helps to reduce the rolling resistance and increase the fuel efficiency of a tyre. Nd-PBR is highly resistant to abrasion and plays a significant role in making tyres more durable. SSBR is mainly used in the tread compound of “Green Tyres”, where it helps to reduce rolling resistance and improve grip on wet roads.
In collaboration with chemical logistics provider TALKE and the independent technical service provider TÜV Rheinland, Lanxess carried out a truck road test with “green tyres” under real conditions during August to October 2013. The results showed that green tyres reduce the fuel consumption of trucks by 8.5% and can save carrier and logistics companies several million euros a year.
The German firm also provides a specially designed calculation program for fleets, the “Lanxess fleet calculator”, in conjunction with the Technical University of Munich. It enables fleet operators to calculate how much fuel they could save in the long term by switching their vehicles to “Green Tyres”. The program also shows the point from which it is worthwhile making that kind of investment and the reduction in fleet CO2 emissions.
China Rubber Conference, held annually, is China’s largest and most influential event in the rubber industry. The conference gathers more than 3,000 professionals and experts to discuss advanced technology and latest developments in rubber products manufacturing.