Continental has been re-elected as co-chair of the Tire Industry Project (TIP) until 2029. Continental will continue to contribute resources and expertise, especially in the areas of tire and road wear particles, end-of-life tires, sustainability assessment methods and supply chain transparency.

TIP is the global tire industry’s central forum for sustainability issues. As one of the founding members of TIP, Continental has been working with other leading global tire manufacturers since 2005 to address overarching environmental and sustainability issues affecting the tire industry.

“We are honored to have been re-elected as co-chair. TIP fosters collaboration within the tire industry, and beyond, with academia and other partners.

Continue reading Conti re-elected co-chair of the Tire Industry Project at Tire Technology International.

Tire maker Continental is carrying out cutting-edge research into tire wear, and actively participating in various industry initiatives. According to a recent ADAC analysis of 160 tested products, Continental tires abrade 11% less material than the average competitor tire – evidence of the effectiveness of the tire manufacturer’s technologies and measures. A key driver of this progress is intensive research. For example, Continental has partnered with the Technical University of Braunschweig to develop a method for analyzing tire wear. This method uses a specially adapted vacuum device mounted behind a drive wheel, which – together with advanced particle sensors – enables the detection of even the finest airborne particles behind the wheels and at other points on the vehicle.

Continue reading Continental uses vacuum technology to study tire wear particles at Tire Technology International.

To address the environmental impact of tire wear in electric vehicles, climate tech firm Levidian has suggested graphene as a sustainable solution to potentially change the sector’s approach to combatting water pollution and has called on manufacturers to support its R&D.

Early-stage research conducted by Levidian showcases promising results in leveraging high-quality graphene to mitigate environmental concerns linked to tire wear in EVs.

The heavier weight and greater torque of EVs has been shown to accelerate tire degradation, leading to increased rubber particulates that contaminate the environment. The widespread adoption of silica-filled compounds in tire treads, aimed at improving abrasion properties, can exacerbate the issue by causing faster migration of toxic anti-ozonant additives, particularly 6PPD.

Continue reading Levidian proposes graphene as eco-friendly solution to EV tire wear pollution at Tire Technology International.

At Tire Technology Expo 2024, Michelin unveiled advances aimed at deepening the understanding of tire and road wear particles, presenting the first research results to the scientific community and industry stakeholders.

Over the past two decades, Michelin has been dedicated to mitigating tire abrasion and conducting extensive research on wear particles. In line with this commitment, the company has developed SAMPLE, a system designed to analyze small particles emitted by tires. It captures, sorts, counts and characterizes particles with precision and reproducibility, paving the way for the development of biodegradable tire wear particles.

As questions surrounding tire and road wear particles continue to emerge, reliable, reproducible and standardized measurements are essential for gaining insights into their environmental impact.

Continue reading Michelin shares advancements in understanding tire and road wear particles at Tire Technology Expo 2024 at Tire Technology International.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is set to introduce a methodology to measure particle emissions from tires, following a similar approach adopted for braking systems last year. Tires are composed of natural and synthetic rubber, along with plastic polymers and other chemicals, which can contribute to non-exhaust emissions.

Tire abrasion due to friction with the road surface, such as when vehicles turn, accelerate or brake, releasing small particles into the air and onto roadsides and the surrounding environment.

The Working Party on Noise and Tyres, with support from the Working Party on Pollution and Energy, has approved two methods to measure tire abrasion under UN Regulation No.

Continue reading UNECE adopts tire particle emission methodology at Tire Technology International.

New research from the UK’s University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter has revealed that plastic microparticles released into the environment from conventional road tires pose a pollution risk and should be regarded as a “high concern”.

The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, focused on the chronic toxicity of particles and chemical leachates from popular tire brands. The impact was tested on water fleas (Daphnia magna), which are small planktonic crustaceans.

Supported by funding from the Natural Environment Research Council, the study is part of the Tyre-Loss project, which investigates tire particles in the environment.

Continue reading UK study identifies tire microparticles as “high concern” pollutants at Tire Technology International.

The study of tire and road wear particles has accelerated in recent years, with global research and testing paving the way for possible future legislation and design solutions. TTI looks at current projects and strategies that address tire wear pollution.

The heightened awareness of microplastic pollution and the more widespread adoption of zero-tailpipe-emission electric vehicles has seen tires come under ever-closer scrutiny for their potentially harmful emissions – the tire and road wear particles (TRWP) that are produced by the necessary friction between tires and the road surface. A 2010 Kreider et al study estimated that TRWP comprises around 50% tire tread and 50% road pavement material.

Continue reading FEATURE | Investigating TRWP at Tire Technology International.

With increasing societal concern about both the environmental and health impacts of tire road wear particles (TRWP), Tire Technology International recently spoke with Frederic Biesse, fellow for tire physics and modelization at Michelin, to find out more about his conference presentation at Tire Technology Expo in Hannover: A dive into tire road wear particles. Frederic will be speaking on Day 1 (Tuesday, March 21) as part of the ‘Creating a Circular Economy – Sustainable, Recycled Materials and Pyrolysis’ session.

What is your presentation about?
FB: The study that will be presented at Tire Technology Expo aims to analyze the tire contribution to air pollution, which is a major concern in urban areas.

Continue reading Tire Technology Expo Conference: Michelin’s analysis of airborne tire particle emissions at Tire Technology International.