Lanxess develops AA concept tire

qiangzi

Wednesday, September 19, 2012
3 A7 K1 j6 W/ I$ f
Charlotte, NC/Leverkusen - Lanxess is demonstrating its expertise in product innovation for synthetic rubber by unveiling the Lanxess AA concept tire. The concept tire is among the first to be presented that would earn a double-A rating under the new labeling regulations that go into effect in November in the European Union. “We believed that creating our own concept tire was essential to developing a thorough command of our high-tech solutions and their significance to the finished product,” said Joachim Grub, head of the Performance Butadiene Rubbers business unit at Lanxess. “We are now moving from the age of tire design to the age of tire materials, which will make the difference in performance.” With this concept tire, Lanxess intends to demonstrate the importance of its neodymium-based performance butadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) to increase durability, especially in AA-rated tires. Although durability will not be rated on the new EU tire labels, it will be a key differentiation criteria among top-ranked tires. November 2012 will see the launch of mandatory tire labeling in the European Union (EU). Tires will be graded from A to G according to their fuel efficiency and wet grip. Rolling noise is also measured. Therefore, the new legislation provides more transparency for consumers by highlighting the added value of “Green Tires”. According to TU Munich, the market share of class A and B tires in the EU is expected to reach 20-30% in 2017 and then jump to 70-80% in 2022.