Description
The demand for High Performance Tyres (HPT) and energy-saving tyres has grown rapidly with the strengthening of automobile fuel economy regulations worldwide and introduction of tyre-labelling legislation approved by EU. The project aims to identify technical opportunities for new rubbers, intended for their application in the HPT industry. The approach will make special efforts to achieve an improvement in solution rubbers S-SBR versus emulsion rubbers E-SBR tyres in terms of a reduction of: rolling resistance reduction from 20% to 30%; fuel consumption ranging from 5% to 7% and greenhouse gas emissions up to 5%. The project addresses research activities with S-SBR technology such as modification of the macro- and micro-structure of polymers and study of suitable functionalization agents in order to achieve specific chemical interactions between the rubber and filler (silica and/or carbon black). The project outcomes are focused on the development of new S-SBR rubbers applied to sustainable and energy-saving tyres.
Summary of project results
This project sought to develop new rubbers for application in the production of High Performance Tyres. The approach has made special efforts to achieve an improvement in S-SBR rubbers versus conventional rubbers. Improved S-SBRs developed in this project can be used to produce tyres with lower rolling resistance (reduced from 20% to 30%), fuel consumption reduction ranging from 5% to 7%, and greenhouse emission reduction up to 5%. During the project, optimal synthesis conditions have been determined to obtain S-SBRs with high vinyl amount and a random amount of styrene. A mathematical simulation model for the copolymerization styrene-butadiene has been developed to facilitate the production of S-SBRs at pilot and plant scale. An oil extended SBR was scaled to industrial plant and two terminal functionalized S-SBRs were scaled to pilot plant. At laboratory scale, a metalation process and the use of amine compound as functionalization agent were tested.
Summary of bilateral results