Greener tyres on the road

Is it possible to drive on greener, more resistant truck tyres that consume less fuel? In this edition of Futuris we go on a voyage of discovery into the science of the tyres of the future.

Researchers at an EU research project are working here to develop a new generation of truck tyres designed to reduce fuel consumption, be longer-lasting and increase safety.

“We’re working with new materials and new design tread patterns,” says project coordinator Benoît Duez. “Our approach to a better understanding of the physical behaviour of tyres is also innovative, so we can guarantee a better rolling resistance. We’re studying, for instance, the strain on materials inside the tyres”.

At laboratories in Luxembourg, researchers are using new recipes to cook up innovative tyres.

The usual ingredients of natural rubber and sulphur, are enriched with new mixtures of ‘carbon blacks’, or newly developed carbon nano-tubes, as Tom Linster, a biochemical engineer, at the Goodyear Innovation Cen