MEDIA RELEASE PR39995
XIAMETER(R) Brand Silanes Key to 'Green' Tire Production
MIDLAND, Mich., June 15 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
As drivers look to improve fuel economy and road safety and reduce their
environmental impact, tire engineers are using XIAMETER(R) brand sulfur silanes to
create the next generation of "green" tires.
"Green" tires first emerged as a concept in the 1990s, when tire engineers
discovered they could reduce rolling resistance and improve traction on wet or icy
surfaces if they used silane with silica as a reinforcing filler in tread compounds,
instead of the traditional fossil fuel-derived carbon black, but higher manufacturing
costs hindered widespread adoption. A breakthrough came in the early 2000s when Dow
Corning technologists used Phase Transfer Catalysis (PTC) technology to develop a
method through which the silane needed for the silica treatment component could be
made more affordably.
"Wider use of green tires could save millions of barrels of oil per year and
would also reduce carbon dioxide emissions significantly. As more green tires come on
the road, the amount of fuel and pollution savings could be staggering," stated Norm
Kanar, XIAMETER(R) global marketer for silanes.
Silica-reinforced tires are more resilient than traditional tires. This gives
them better traction on wet and icy surfaces and can reduce stopping distances by as
much as 15 percent, making the roads safer for everyone. These sulfur silane (
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