Russian petchem firm Sibur and Ikon Tyres, a tyre plant of Tatneft in Vsevolozhsk, have developed and tested tyres with a tread made from import-substituted synthetic rubber, to do away for the need to import natural rubber from Asia.
“The tread of new Ikon Tyres features Sibur’s DSSK-615 synthetic rubber, which has replaced imported brands. During testing, telemetric sensors confirmed the new tyres fully meet all standards,” it said.
The tests were conducted on the ice of a frozen lake near Nizhnevartovsk.
“Through joint efforts with Tatneft, we have achieved 99% localisation. The next stage involves replacing expensive natural rubber, supplies of which fully depend on Southeast Asian countries,” Anatoly Svetlikov, the director of Sibur’s transport division, was quoted as saying.
In December 2024, Darya Borisova, board member/managing director for development and innovations at Sibur, said that the company is developing its own rubber compound formulations and advancing high-tech rubber grades for the tyre industry. Daria shared that around 300 prototype tyres are undergoing rigorous testing, including bench and durability assessments, and the initiative covers a full range of tyres for both passenger and commercial vehicles.
She also added this year, Sibur will present test results for prototype tyres containing synthetic isoprene rubber instead of natural rubber supplied from Asian countries.