Week 1
Tire Science, Research, Materials and Formulations
5 days, June 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2021

Preliminary Conference Program

To view the full conference program schedule, please register to the virtual conference platform. (Free registration)

Compounding and Sustainable Mobility

Sustainable tire innovation through collaboration

Raffaele di Ronza
R&D open innovation expert
Bridgestone EMIA
Italy
Partnership and an open innovation approach are key if we are to ensure the sustainable future of mobility. Co-developed by Bridgestone, Arlanxeo and Solvay, Techsyn is a tire technology platform that combines chemically optimized synthetic rubber with tailor-made silica, interacting at a molecular level, to create tires that deliver unrivaled strength and environmental performance – up to 30% better wear efficiency and an up to 6% reduction in rolling resistance compared with conventional Bridgestone EMIA summer products – with no trade-offs. As a result of these improvements, Techsyn augments the sustainable performance of the tires it is applied to by reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (relating to rolling resistance coefficient (RRC), which is measured in Bridgestone’s indoor labs) and enhancing tread mileage (wear performance has been evaluated by Bridgestone’s outdoor tests on 205/55R16 vs reference Bridgestone consumer summer tires).

Lanxess solutions for sustainability in the tire industry

Dr Antonia Albers
Technical service EMEA
Lanxess Deutschland GmbH
Germany
Sustainability is evolving into one of the key topics in the tire industry. We at Rhein Chemie support our customers to successfully meet this new challenge with innovative products. These are either based on sustainable raw materials that enhance the sustainability of our customer products by, for example, improving lifetime or energy consumption, or support recycling at the end of the product lifetime.

Aging performance of NR-silica masterbatch compounds

Anke Blume
Professor
University of Twente
Netherlands
The introduction of the silica/silane system in NR is still a challenging task. There are different approaches to achieve a good dispersion level of the silica and a sufficient coupling rate of the silica to the polymer. One of them is the use of masterbatches where the silica is already pre-dispersed in the NR latex. A crucial factor in all rubber compounds is their aging behavior. In the current study, the aging behavior of rubber compounds that are produced with different silica/silane NR masterbatches is investigated in depth.

CONTINUA™ – sustainable solutions from Birla Carbon

Dr Gilles Moninot
Global director of sustainability
Birla Carbon Europe GmbH
France
Many in the rubber industry are talking about sustainability in general and product circularity in particular. Is the carbon black industry making sufficient strides in proposing sustainable materials and supporting these aspirations? Birla Carbon proposes to be the game-changer to make circularity a reality with its sustainable carbonaceous materials and CONTINUA™ offering.

Matching processing and performance in Nd-BR

Fabio Bacchelli
Technical manager
Versalis
Italy
High-cis neodymium polybutadiene is known to be a high-performing, very elastic polymer, with better vulcanizate performance than corresponding Ni, Co and Ti grades. However, despite superior mechanical and hysteretic properties, processing may become challenging, as often seen, for example, in rough extrudates. Slower extrusion speeds, lower processing temperatures and the addition of processing aids are therefore required to improve Nd-BR processability at higher costs. This conflict between superior vulcanizate performance and challenging processing behavior may be overcome by targeting a specially designed molecular architecture directly obtained during polymerization.

Product sustainability drives innovation

Melanie Wiedemeier-Jarad
Technical service manager
Lanxess Deutschland GmbH
Germany
For the Rhein Chemie business unit at Lanxess, acting sustainably means being ready for the future. We are committed to comprehensive responsibility with regard to our products, and we keep up with regulatory uncertainties through regular assessment of our product portfolio based on sustainability criteria. Additionally, the search for environmentally friendly raw materials has increased in importance in tire manufacturing. This has motivated us to develop the new trial product Vulkacit TZ accelerator and the new trial product Vulkanox 4060 antidegradant with a more environmentally friendly profile. Both offer the advantage of easy handling and processing.

Live Q&A and Panel Discussion

Raffaele di Ronza
R&D open innovation expert
Bridgestone EMIA
Italy
Dr Antonia Albers
Technical service EMEA
Lanxess Deutschland GmbH
Germany
Anke Blume
Professor
University of Twente
Netherlands
Fabio Bacchelli
Technical manager
Versalis
Italy
Melanie Wiedemeier-Jarad
Technical service manager
Lanxess Deutschland GmbH
Germany
Dr Gilles Moninot
Global director of sustainability
Birla Carbon Europe GmbH
France
Moderator:
Laurent Guy, global technical marketing for tire market, Solvay Silica

Versalis SpA Workshop

Join us for a highly informative and educational workshop, where we will discuss a new Versalis initiative for a circular economy.

Versalis Revive grades: new ‘circular’ elastomers for sustainable tires

Costantino Perretta
Elastomer R&D product manager automotive, thermoplastic, compounding and circular economy
Versalis SpA
Italy
End-of-life tires (ELT) have been recognized as a critical and valuable resource for the circular economy. The secondary raw material derived from ELT can be an important solution to meet the targets of CO2 reduction, which many tire manufacturers have set in their strategy for the coming years. Versalis is studying the technologies of devulcanization and micronization, aiming to optimize the physical and chemical properties of the recycled material and reuse it in new sustainable tires. With this new circular economy initiative, Versalis aims to expand the range of Versalis Revive products, which are made of recycled materials from post-consumer products and thus meet the growing circular economy needs of manufacturers of tires and other rubber products. The presentation provides the technical results that Versalis has achieved with both technologies.

Compounding and Sustainable Mobility (continued)

Sustainable solutions for designing next-generation tires

Gennaro della Vecchia
Segment market manager for tire additives - performance application
Eastman Chemical BV
Netherlands
New mobility and megatrends driving increased sustainability are challenging the tire industry and providing additional targets to meet. Tire performance requirements are increasing as well, creating the need for materials that differentiate performance and sustainability in the marketplace. This presentation will show how Eastman’s portfolio helps tire manufacturers develop more durable tires, reduce CO2 emissions with increased productivity and increase the sustainable content of tires with biobased materials – all without compromising performance.

Back to black: CarbonX breaks the rules to combine performance and sustainability

Daniela Sordi
Chief technology officer
CarbonX
Netherlands
High-silica loaded systems are designed to improve rolling resistance and maximize fuel efficiency, but typically experience limitations in abrasion resistance. Using carbon blacks can improve abrasion resistance but it comes at the cost of fuel efficiency and grip. CarbonX already defied convention by improving all three parameters at the same time when it was used to substitute N375, and these results were amplified when CarbonX was used to partially substitute silica as well as carbon black. This presentation explains how CarbonX was able to simultaneously improve rolling resistance (13%), abrasion resistance (21%) and wet grip (6.5%), and how CarbonX can help tire makers meet increasing demands for higher performance and sustainability, ultimately contributing to the overall reduction of CO2 and particle emissions.

Influence of functionalized S-SBR on the properties of silica-filled rubber compounds

Chigusa Yamada
Manager
Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH / University of Twente
Germany
Functionalized S-SBRs are used for the tire tread to improve rolling resistance (RR). The functional group that can interact with silica is introduced in the polymer to increase filler-polymer interaction. This increased filler-polymer interaction leads to a reduced filler-filler interaction and to a decreased tand at 60°C, an indicator for RR. The detailed mechanism of functionalized S-SBRs is still not clear. Therefore, the current study compares the silica compounds with several SBRs that have different types of functional groups, to better understand this mechanism, focusing particularly on filler-polymer interaction.

Processing value awaits with Eastman Crystex Cure Pro insoluble sulfur

Dr Frederick Ignatz-Hoover
Technology fellow
Eastman Chemical B.V.
USA
Eastman has developed process-optimization methodologies utilizing thermal imaging technology and in-compound soluble sulfur analysis with statistical design of experiments. Crystex Cure Pro insoluble sulfur is an engineered product that shows dramatic improvements in flow, dispersion kinetics and thermal stability over conventional products. When Eastman process-optimization methodologies are applied to mixing or calendering operations involving Crystex Cure Pro, dramatic improvements in processing time and energy utilization have been observed. Optimized factory operations have been demonstrated showing capacity and/or energy utilization improvements in the order of 10-40%. This presentation will highlight Eastman methodologies and examples of factory-optimized processes.

Simultaneous dynamic-mechanical and dielectric analysis of silica filled elastomer composites

Dr Sahbi Aloui
Senior application engineer
Netzsch Gerätebau GmbH
Germany
Dynamic-mechanical and dielectric analysis are well-established techniques to describe the material behavior on the macro and nanoscale respectively. Simultaneous combination of both techniques using the DiPLEXOR opens new opportunities to come closer to real applications during the operating phase by establishing the relationship between the macroscopic property change and the corresponding internal dynamics on the nanoscale. This represents the decisive criterion to understand why the samples are changing their properties during their service life. What is the criterion of cost efficiency? And can the mechanical state be continuously monitored during application in order to avoid damage and/or wear?

Live Q&A and Panel Discussion

Gennaro della Vecchia
Segment market manager for tire additives - performance application
Eastman Chemical BV
Netherlands
Dr Marzieh Salehi
Researcher
University of Twente
Netherlands
Daniela Sordi
Chief technology officer
CarbonX
Netherlands
Chigusa Yamada
Manager
Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH / University of Twente
Germany
Dr Frederick Ignatz-Hoover
Technology fellow
Eastman Chemical B.V.
USA
Dr Sahbi Aloui
Senior application engineer
Netzsch Gerätebau GmbH
Germany
Moderator:
Laurent Guy, global technical marketing for tire market, Solvay Silica

Sustainable Solutions in Polymer, Filler and Compound Additives

Butyl rubber composites using polysaccharide-based fillers

Ulrich Giese
Managing director and professor at Leibniz University of Hannover
German Institute of Rubber Technology and Leibniz University of Hannover
Germany
Cellulose is a polysaccharide from renewable sources with a high potential to be used as filler material in rubbers. The application in butyl rubber-based tire compounds is of high interest because it saves weight due to low material density and also improves the permeation resistance. To realize such nanocomposites, the large and polar cellulose surface must be chemically compatible with non-polar elastomer matrices. Commercially available nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) was characterized fundamentally as a raw material and incorporated into BIIR by means of a special latex mixing technology. Several chemical analytical techniques and physical testing were used to characterize the compound.

Better compounding for better adhesion

Mojtaba Bagheri Jaghargh
Head of rubber engineering
Iran Tire Manufacturing Company
Iran
In tire technology, polyester, nylon and steel cords are the skeleton of the tire, and their composites with the rubber skim coats are very important. Most skim coat formulations consist of high phrs of natural rubber, which is a very good choice for adhesion to reinforcing materials as well as low heat build-up and high strength. However, this is all dependent on a good mix being achieved, which is a little tricky with natural rubber in high phrs. A suitable type of natural rubber can be very helpful for the compounders.

Enhanced silica-NR tread performance by hybrid fillers and polymers

Wisut Kaewsakul
Assistant professor
University of Twente
Netherlands
To improve the properties of silica truck tire tread compounds, especially abrasion resistance, the effects of organoclay (OC) and carbon black (CB) N134 as secondary fillers as well as butadiene rubber (BR) and solution styrene butadiene rubber (SSBR) as secondary polymers in silica-filled natural rubber (NR) compounds at a ratio of 80/20 phr were investigated. The use of OC shows improvement in Payne effect and tan delta at 60ºC, indicative of reduced filler-filler networking, and rolling resistance of the compound, respectively, compared with the one without OC. Overall, the combination of BR and OC shows the best tire performance.

Functionalized rubbers: seeking unstable stability

Antonio Solito
Researcher, leader S-SBR and BR
Versalis
Italy
Tires move the world, and the world revolving around tires needs to keep pace but with increased consciousness of the impact on climate change. Despite the complex situation caused by the pandemic, Versalis’s parent company, ENI, this year announced a strong commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. How can we support this environmental drive? Functionalization of S-SBR has led the way to enhanced rubber-silica interactions and excellent filler dispersion stretching out the vertices of the performance magic triangle (RR ↓, WG↑, Abrasion↓). However, functionalization can be a double-edged sword: reactivity and stability must be carefully balanced to achieve tangible improvements.

Application of Eastman Crystex Cure Pro in belt compounds of car tires

Javier del Rio
Senior application development and technical service manager for tire additives in EMEA and LATAM regions
Eastman Chemical BV
Netherlands
For decades, companies in the tire industry have employed process limitations linked to their own productivity. Two of those constraints are associated with dispersion and thermal stability of polymer sulfur. Crystex Cure Pro was created to address the original constraints around compounds containing high-sulfur-containing compounds. As customers’ needs evolve, Cure Pro changes with them. Cure Pro is the latest generation of insoluble sulfur (IS) engineered to bring superior dispersion, high-temperature stability, and enhanced flowability. Here, we examine the application of Cure Pro in various belt formulations compared to typical Crystex OT 20 grades in addition to the niche insoluble sulfur grades like Crystex OT 33 and Crystex OT 33 AS.

Increased sustainability: tire rubbers with raw materials from renewable resources

Kamyar Alavi
Senior tech advisor
Nynas AB
Sweden
The tire industry’s efforts to achieve higher levels of sustainability has been gaining strength in recent years, which is reflected in the explicit sustainability targets communicated from several producers. Although the solution is multifaceted, the introduction of alternative raw materials for the production of tires has been one of the routes to meet the challenge. In this presentation, we will take a closer look at key raw materials such as polymers, fillers and plasticizers made from alternative resources, and discuss how they can be used as alternatives or complements to traditional raw materials.

Live Q&A and Panel Discussion

Ulrich Giese
Managing director and professor at Leibniz University of Hannover
German Institute of Rubber Technology and Leibniz University of Hannover
Germany
Mojtaba Bagheri Jaghargh
Head of rubber engineering
Iran Tire Manufacturing Company
Iran
Wisut Kaewsakul
Assistant professor
University of Twente
Netherlands
Antonio Solito
Researcher, leader S-SBR and BR
Versalis
Italy
Javier del Rio
Senior application development and technical service manager for tire additives in EMEA and LATAM regions
Eastman Chemical BV
Netherlands
Kamyar Alavi
Senior tech advisor
Nynas AB
Sweden
Moderators:
Anke Blume, professor, University of Twente
Moderators:
Anke Blume, professor, University of Twente
Fabian Grunert, assistant professor, Elastomer Technology & Engineering Group, University of Twente

Tread performance vs. processing – enabling new opportunities

Dr Christian Geidel
Head of R&D and Application Laboratory
Schill+Seilacher Struktol GmbH
Germany
State-of-the-art tread compounds need to fulfill a great variety of performance criteria to meet modern end-customer requirements. Tread grip, traction and highly tuned tire handling are finely balanced with the expectation of decreased tread wear and an increasing contribution toward vehicle fuel efficiency. These constraints are further stretched for those tires developed for use on e-vehicles. End-user expectations translate to the need for ever more demanding material concepts comprising high-molecular-weight rubbers in conjunction with high filler and resin levels. As a result, the tire production process efficiency is compromised due to unacceptably high viscosity, low green strength and challenging levels of tack at key stages throughout the production process. Struktol has recently developed solutions to overcome the performance vs. processing target conflict. This presentation will outline opportunities enabling future-oriented material development to push performance to higher levels without sacrificing processing efficiency.

Pushing performance boundaries with S12, the breakthrough compounding additive

Dr Andreas Renken
Application development and technical service manager EMEA, tire additives
Eastman Chemical BV
Netherlands
Electrification is a major trend driving the industry toward increasingly sophisticated tire and compound designs. For companies seeking to grow through differentiation, conventional compounding technology and manufacturing constraints may limit the ability to meet emerging performance needs. S12 is a performance additive engineered to enable new design and manufacturing paradigms not previously possible. This presentation will disclose recent compounding developments that demonstrate improvements in hysteresis and physical properties. Adoption of the proposed compound design schemes can help meet the emerging needs of heavier loads, increased range and better handling. S12 is a technological breakthrough that overcomes current design and manufacturing paradigms to herald the next level of tire performance.

Low-molecular-weight ‘liquid’ polymers – an alternative ingredient

Marcel Gruendken
Senior manager EMEA, MD&TS, R&D and regulatory affairs
Kuraray Europe GmbH
Germany
The presentation will discuss chemicals and innovations in the tire industry; differentiation of plasticizers, resins and polymers; co-reactivity with main polymers and interaction with fillers; Kuraray liquid rubber and applications in tires.

Using heavy naphthenic process oils to improve tire tread performance

Mary Ann Abney
Global technical marketing manager - process oils
Ergon Inc
USA
Tires are formulated with many different components designed to optimize their safety and performance. The performance demands shift depending on the end application of the tire. There are natural trade-offs, as shown by the magic triangle. Everything from the elastomer, process oil selection and filler system, to mixing, curing agents, phr loadings, etc can affect the end performance. Process oils used as extenders and/or plasticizers affect the performance of the tire tread. In this paper, we explore the impact of heavy naphthenic oil (HNO), heavy naphthenic black oil (HNBO) and treated distillate aromatic extract (TDAE) process oils.

Surface pre-treatment techniques for silica nanoparticles

Sunkeun Kim
PhD researcher
University of Twente
Netherlands
Silica-silane is a commonly used filler system in elastomer technology. However, there are drawbacks to this technology: processing of the silica-filled compounds is complex, and this filler system does not work properly for all applications. To overcome the drawbacks of the silica-silane system, alternative surface pre-treatment techniques were investigated. The characteristics of the modified silica types as such as well as in their application will be discussed.

Cure mechanism and morphology of polymer blends

Gina Butuc
PhD candidate
University of Twente/Nouryon
Netherlands
This research proposes a novel approach to decrease EPDM and EPM absorption of hydrocarbon solvents and oils by creating polymer blends with a low-molecular-weight polymeric material – a cyclic oligosulfide containing at least one tetrasulfide group in the molecule. The focus of this paper is on a proposed mechanism of cross-linking facilitated by both organic peroxide and sulfur; sulfur is generated in-situ by the cyclic tetrasulfide. An important role is played by ZnO in elucidating the mechanism of cross-linking. The ZnO surface chemistry influence on the sulfur cross-link process is studied by various microscopy techniques coupled with energy-dispersive x-ray.

Live Q&A and Panel Discussion

Dr Christian Geidel
Head of R&D and Application Laboratory
Schill+Seilacher Struktol GmbH
Germany
Dr Andreas Renken
Application development and technical service manager EMEA, tire additives
Eastman Chemical BV
Netherlands
Marcel Gruendken
Senior manager EMEA, MD&TS, R&D and regulatory affairs
Kuraray Europe GmbH
Germany
Mary Ann Abney
Global technical marketing manager - process oils
Ergon Inc
USA
Sunkeun Kim
PhD researcher
University of Twente
Netherlands
Gina Butuc
PhD candidate
University of Twente/Nouryon
Netherlands
Moderator:
Fabian Grunert, assistant professor, Elastomer Technology & Engineering Group, University of Twente

Technology and Sustainability Developments in Reinforcements

Ready-to-use reinforcements – a major contribution to more sustainable processes

Yves Duytschaever
Global sales manager, TRG
Milliken Textiles
Belgium
Ready-to-use (RTU) textile reinforcements are very important players when thinking about more sustainable processes. The ultimate green tire may still be a long shot but RTU reinforcements are within reach and can be applied at every tire plant with a direct impact on its environmental footprint. In combination with potential cost savings, applying RTU textiles shows immediate results without the need for significant investment.

Textile reinforcements behavior prediction through monofilament-scale understanding

Dr Nizar Didane
Material designer
Michelin
France
For the next few years, the tire industry will face demanding challenges, mainly in the areas of sustainability and long-lasting performance, leading to a strong need for appropriate technical solutions. To achieve this goal, Michelin invests considerable R&D resources in raw materials and final product comprehension studies. Considering textile reinforcements, the group has been involved in fundamental research around micro/mesoscales, such as single fibers. This methodology allows a better prediction of macroscale behavior. The presentation will highlight the micro/mesoscale analysis stakes and methodology. Important results related to the structure/property relationships of an aramid monofilament will also be shared.

Multiscale molecular modeling and simulation for silica-reinforced rubber

Dr Tomofumi Zushi
Development engineer
Sumitomo Rubber Industries
Japan
Natalia Gajos
Global technical marketing manager - tire
Solvay Silica
France
Molecular modeling and simulation have become powerful tools for optimizing tire materials and predicting tire behavior. The current limitation of the simulation approaches for silica-reinforced rubber is the lack of precise description of the silica nature and the atomistic interface. In this session, a joint effort by Solvay and Sumitomo Rubber, a new simulation approach for silica-reinforced rubber will be presented, which is based on ab-initio and coarse-grained simulations. The real silica surface is simulated by all-atom reactive force field molecular dynamics, and the impact of the silica interface on the viscoelastic properties is evaluated by coarse-grained simulation.

Carbon nanostructures in tire applications

Limeng Chen
R&D manager
Cabot Corporation
USA
Conventional reinforcing materials provide well-known benefits to tire performance by enhancing durability, safety and efficiency. Cabot continues to innovate in this space to expand the performance envelope and design space for customers. In this presentation, we will explore a new class of rubber compounds and concentrates prepared using three-dimensional reinforcing agents known as carbon nanostructures (CNS). CNS are a unique network of cross-linked carbon nanotubes that can deliver performance gains at very low loading.

Panel Discussion

Yves Duytschaever
Global sales manager, TRG
Milliken Textiles
Belgium
Dr Nizar Didane
Material designer
Michelin
France
Limeng Chen
R&D manager
Cabot Corporation
USA
Natalia Gajos
Global technical marketing manager - tire
Solvay Silica
France
Masaya Tsunoda
General manager
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd
Japan
Dr Toshio Tada
General manager
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd
Japan
Moderator:
Abilash Nair, materials development manager, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd

Developments in Tire Testing and Simulation

Visualization technology for the tire contact condition in actual driving

Matthew Van Gennip
Product manager
A&D Technology
USA
The contact condition between the tires and the road surface is an essential element in the consideration of vehicle behavior. Although the contact condition changes in various ways as the tire’s attitude changes during driving, there are few examples that comprehensively demonstrate these changes. Therefore, we use a dynamic contact force measurement device to acquire data under arbitrary camber/slip conditions, and introduce changes in the contact condition in response to wheel alignment.

Achieve cut- and chip-resistant rubber compounds before tire development

Radek Stoček
General manager
PRL Polymer Research Lab
Czech Republic
The successful development of highly cut- and chip-resistant tire treads requires improved rubber compounds based on new generations of raw materials and additives. Moreover, to make the development highly efficient and become a worldwide leader in this growing segment, the implementation of predictive lab testing methods is key. This will accelerate the development process before the tire has been produced, by speeding up the development times and minimizing cost-intensive field tests. We demonstrate a novel lab testing methodology, including the Instrumented Chip and Cut Analyzer equipment.

Snow characterization for the investigation of tire tread blocks

Jonas Heidelberger
Scientific assistant
Institute for Dynamics and Vibration Research (IDS)
Germany
Real snow roads are exposed to changing conditions like unstable temperatures or snow. These changes have a significant influence on the snow friction of a tire tread block. We aimed to quantify the change in snow properties with a new experimental method, and to parameterize a snow model with the discrete element method (DEM). Different tire tread blocks were implemented in the parameterized DEM snow model. The results of the DEM simulation show the influence of snow properties on the snow friction of tire tread blocks.

Dynamic Section tire and the EV revolution

Elan Amirav
Manager
D&A Industrial Engineering Environmental Design
Israel
Dynamic Section is a patented concept designed to introduce rolling resistance optimization to pneumatic tires by significantly changing the ground contact patch in response to pressure values, dynamic loads and road conditions. As the tire in the EV’s drivetrain constitutes the main link between the motor and the road, regulating rolling resistance may produce more efficiency than in the case of the ICV. Having the ability to reduce the ground contact patch while cruising, and increase it when torque resistance or higher performance are required, may generate added value for the EV’s evolution and substantially extend the battery charging range.

Innovative tire development thanks to driving simulators

Mathieu Grob
Pre-sales manager
VI-grade
France
VI-grade strongly believes in innovation and has recently launched a new family of cable-driven simulators characterized by extended workspace, as well as a complete driving simulator product line dedicated to NVH applications. VI-grade also recently launched the VI-Certified program, which guarantees enhanced driving simulator compatibility with most third-party software providers. In particular, this program ensures native integration of all major tire models on the market (MF-Tyre, CDTire, FTire and MegaRide). The presentation will reveal VI-grade’s complete and open solution to support and develop a fast and efficient process for virtual tire design, testing and sign-off.

Live Q&A and Panel Discussion

Matthew Van Gennip
Product manager
A&D Technology
USA
Radek Stoček
General manager
PRL Polymer Research Lab
Czech Republic
Jonas Heidelberger
Scientific assistant
Institute for Dynamics and Vibration Research (IDS)
Germany
Elan Amirav
Manager
D&A Industrial Engineering Environmental Design
Israel
Mathieu Grob
Pre-sales manager
VI-grade
France
Moderator:
Francesco Todino, research engineer, Siemens Digital Industries Software

Tire Design, Simulation, Modeling and Testing

Tire abrasion – method for quantitative assessment

Dominique Cettour-Janet
Michelin senior fellow for tire performance evaluation and tire physics
ETRMA-ETRTO
Belgium
Tire and road wear particles released from tires during use are attracting growing interest and raising questions about their potential impact on health and the environment. The tire industry is committed to evaluating the feasibility of developing a test method that will measure the abraded mass per unit distance from passenger car tires. This paper will provide extensive information about the tire abrasion test being developed by the European tire industry.

Road-tire-wheel NVH simulation for vehicle virtual design

François Lohr
Technical manager NVH tire performance
Michelin
France
Tire road noise is an increasingly challenging topic in vehicle interior noise due to engine optimization and electrification. Optimized tire road noise relies on an adequate coupling between the tires and the vehicle, to avoid bad filtering or mode resonance. To speed up the tire-vehicle design process by using simulation instead of physical testing, Michelin has spent many years developing a tire NVH simulation chain, including road excitation, cavity and wheel. The virtual design and submission capability of this simulation chain will be presented, illustrated through tire-vehicle optimization and troubleshooting results.

The latest developments in wheel and tyre modeling at Jaguar Land Rover

Jan Prins
Technical specialist
Jaguar Land Rover
UK
The presentation will outline the latest developments in wheel and tire modeling at Jaguar Land Rover. It will provide an update on progress made since the last presentation some years ago. A lot of progress has been made, particularly with respect to CAE supporting tire development.

Analytical snow grip testing of worn tires

Frederic Biesse
Tire performance analysis expert
Michelin
France
Although many tire performances improve with wear (rolling resistance, dry grip, etc), others, such as snow traction, decrease significantly. After presenting the stakes of mobility on snowy roads and the impact of wear on snow grip mechanisms and performance, the discussion will focus on the reproduction of this effect in analytical testing of worn tires. In particular, tire preparation is a key step and a process will be proposed. Finally, the capability of the classical snow grip methods to test worn tires with the proposed preparation protocol will be presented

Characterizing tire emissions independent of brake, road wear and resuspension

Nick Molden
Chief executive officer
Emissions Analytics
UK
Analyzing ‘tire and road wear particles’ on a combined basis runs the risk of underestimating the environmental impact of tire wear emissions, which are likely to grow with heavier vehicles and given the chemical composition of tires. This presentation will discuss a new method for determining tire wear emissions in real-world driving conditions. The rate of wear will be related to driving dynamics to understand the link to driver behavior. Comparing multiple tire brands, the variation in rates of wear will be presented.

A methodology for optical measurements of the tire carcass deflection

Carlo Lugaro
Research engineer
Siemens Digital Industries Software
Netherlands
Simplified physical tire models are useful to predict and study the generation of forces and moments in different operating conditions. A crucial element of these models lies in the prediction of the deformation of the tire structural elements during operation, which is difficult to determine experimentally. In this study, an optical measurement system based on a camera positioned inside the tire is applied, thus permitting direct measurement of such deformations. The method provides a correlation between side slip angle, tire deformations and lateral force to facilitate the experimental validation and further development of physical tire models.

Live Q&A and Panel Discussion

Carlo Lugaro
Research engineer
Siemens Digital Industries Software
Netherlands
Dominique Cettour-Janet
Michelin senior fellow for tire performance evaluation and tire physics
ETRMA-ETRTO
Belgium
François Lohr
Technical manager NVH tire performance
Michelin
France
Frederic Biesse
Tire performance analysis expert
Michelin
France
Nick Molden
Chief executive officer
Emissions Analytics
UK
Moderator:
Jan Prins, technical specialist, Jaguar Land Rover

The latest trends and technical challenges in TBR product development

Haluk Kizilay
Managing director
TIC-Tire Industry Consulting
Turkey
The presentation will discuss the requirements in today’s tire industry for TBR; the main drivers in truck and bus tires; how to enhance product design and development; key factors in TBR design; TBR technical challenges.

Comparing PRAT and PRCF between testing systems

Anders Maki
Systems engineer
MTS Systems Corporation
USA
Do differences exist between flat-belt tire testing systems when measuring small forces and moments caused by tire plies? Every system can measure these forces but not equally: some are better than others, as this presentation will demonstrate.

Efficient tire model parameterization for modeling temperature and velocity influences

Francesco Todino
Research engineer
Siemens Digital Industries Software
Netherlands
The effect of temperature and rolling speed on the tire response has been widely studied in recent years. Tire models that capture these phenomena have lately become available in the literature. Parameterization of such models requires knowledge regarding properties of the tire construction materials, which can be time-consuming and expensive. In this study, an efficient parameterization method and measuring strategy, based on a novel tire thermodynamic extension, is proposed that solely relies on a set of forces and moments measurements, complemented with temperature sensors. The validation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed methodology.

Simulating the effects of tire aging on impact resistance

William Mars
President
Endurica LLC
USA
Endurica’s Incremental, Critical Plane Analysis has been applied to simulate the effects of aging on a tire’s resistance to cracking under road hazard impacts such as a curb or cleat. Aging kinetics are represented via a master curve with an Arrhenius-based time-temperature shift factor. Continuous evolution of the stiffness and crack growth rate law is considered. Simulation results show that although cracks in a new tire may operate below the intrinsic strength (i.e. fatigue threshold), over time the intrinsic strength may degrade in a time-dependent manner to the point where fatigue crack growth becomes inevitable.

RIDEsuite: real-time multi-physical modular tire

Aleksandr Sakhnevych
Vehicle dynamics researcher | CTO
University of Naples Federico II | MegaRide
Italy
RIDEsuite enables a further necessary step toward the real-time modeling of tire-road interaction phenomena in offline and online environments. The software products – consisting of a high-performance full wheel thermal model, a dynamic Magic Formula based model, a multi-contact envelope-based model and a wear degradation model – are perfectly integrated into a plug-and-play solution, and also allow the partners to perform hybrid simulations with their own third-party modules thanks to the specially designed modular APIs. RIDEsuite is a completely modular system that can enhance real-time simulation for tire performance and vehicle setup optimization and help vehicle dynamicists achieve automotive excellence.

Live Q&A and Panel Discussion

Haluk Kizilay
Managing director
TIC-Tire Industry Consulting
Turkey
Anders Maki
Systems engineer
MTS Systems Corporation
USA
Francesco Todino
Research engineer
Siemens Digital Industries Software
Netherlands
William Mars
President
Endurica LLC
USA
Aleksandr Sakhnevych
Vehicle dynamics researcher | CTO
University of Naples Federico II | MegaRide
Italy
Moderator:
Carlo Lugaro, research engineer, Siemens Digital Industries Software

Sustainable, Recycled Materials and Pyrolysis

Sustainable materials, another step including a holistic approach towards the Michelin all sustainable strategy

Dr Cyrille Roget
Scientific and innovation communication director
Michelin
France
Having addressed for years the impact of tires on the environment through longevity and abrasion, rolling resistance, mass and LCA (life cycle analysis), Michelin is now preparing the next steps. LCA teaches us that use phase is a key driver of the impact of tires on the environment. But the on-going transition to electric mobility is highlighting that the next big contributor is raw material consumption. It is therefore essential to reduce the raw materials footprint on the Planet, contributing to a more Circular Economy. Michelin is working to ensure that this approach is complementary to the traditional tire performances as longevity and abrasion, rolling resistance, adherence, noise and handling. For each tire component, Michelin is working with a variety of approaches to bring a sustainable solution.

Sustainability and recycling in the tire industry

Guido Veit
Vice president projects
Zeppelin Systems GmbH
Germany
Calling on its strength and experience in process and plant engineering, Zeppelin offers customers innovative bespoke solutions for the recycling of used tires. Zeppelin continuously strives for process reliability and consistently high-quality final products – decisive contributory factors for the provision of long-term profitability and sustainability for its customers. Through partnering with a renowned institute, Zeppelin develops and evolves cutting-edge solutions by implementing creative and economical processes to recover and recycle valuable steel, oil and gas and to regenerate premium-grade carbon black. These highly sustainable ‘self-powering’ plants help to reduce the used tire mountains and create a more sustainable future.

Sustainability certification for synthetic and natural rubber

Jan Henke
Director
International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) / Meo Carbon Solutions
Germany
The circular and bio-economy is on the rise, supported by climate neutrality targets, consumer preferences and company commitments. Certification creates a link between the sustainability of raw materials and final products. The mass balance concept enables an efficient scale-up of the circular economy and bio-economy for tire manufacturers. ISCC is a sustainability certification system, governed in a multi-stakeholder process by the ISCC Association. ISCC certification covers value chains and establishes traceability, verification of volumes, types of raw materials and claims about products. The presentation provides an overview of ISCC, raw materials, products, supply chains, mass balance concepts and possible claims.

Recycling tires back into tires using high-quality eco-responsible materials

Nicolas Schüwer
R&D manager
Tyre Recycling Solutions
Switzerland
The problems associated with tire recycling remain a technological challenge and a threat to our society. Yet the responsible management and valorization of end-of-life tires is of growing concern and achieving their recyclability is demanded by end customers and manufacturers. This presentation describes how recycled waterjet rubber powders can be formulated back into tire rubber compounds while maintaining the required high performance and having a positive impact on the tire carbon footprint. It further provides technical insight on the fundamentals of waterjet rubber powder compounding and details strategies to localize the production of high-quality eco-responsible materials.

Sustainable tires with vegetative oils

Arup Saha Deuri
Head of R&D
Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT)
India
In order to make sustainable tires, every manufacturer is attempting to produce tires using sustainable material like castor oil, mustard oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil and palm olein oil instead of RAE oil. Work was undertaken on different tire components using full or partial replacement with vegetable oils; testing included endurance testing. Results show comparable results except for one or two parameters that can be improved by formulation adjustment.

Sustainability in rubber products and carbon black’s role in it

Aatif Misbah
Vice president, global marketing and strategy
Cabot Corporation
USA
At Cabot, we believe that long-term success requires a commitment to sustainability in its broadest form. Sustainable processes and actions help us avoid the depletion of natural resources, maintain an ecological balance and improve quality of life. In this presentation we share how carbon black plays an important role in improving daily life, and how Cabot is relentlessly pursuing solutions to the sustainability challenges of our customers, our communities and our world. We also talk about Cabot’s progress with its mindset of continuous improvement in carbon black production and which innovations will fuel the future of sustainable carbon blacks.

The use of vegetable oils in tires for unique performance properties

Selim Erhan
Director of business development
Process Oils Inc, an Ergon Company
USA
Vegetable oils, derived directly from the beans and seeds of plants, provide a sustainable and renewable source of plasticizer for the rubber industry. However, they also provide several unique properties that result in significant performance benefits in processability and application properties. Their compatibility with higher-polarity elastomers such as SBR and BR makes them ideal for tire producers and industrial rubber products. This presentation will review the specific vegetable oils currently used widely in the rubber and tire industry and analyze their unique properties compared with traditional rubber process oils.

Live Q&A and Panel Discussion

Guido Veit
Vice president projects
Zeppelin Systems GmbH
Germany
Aatif Misbah
Vice president, global marketing and strategy
Cabot Corporation
USA
Jan Henke
Director
International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) / Meo Carbon Solutions
Germany
Nicolas Schüwer
R&D manager
Tyre Recycling Solutions
Switzerland
Selim Erhan
Director of business development
Process Oils Inc, an Ergon Company
USA
Arup Saha Deuri
Head of R&D
Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT)
India
Moderator:
Cyrille Roget, scientific and innovation communication director, Michelin

Collective progress toward sustainable natural rubber

Stefano Savi
Director
GPSNR
Singapore
GPSNR is an international multi-stakeholder initiative formed to lead improvements in the socio-economic and environmental performance of the natural rubber value chain. Members of the platform represent the vast and complex global supply chain, from natural rubber smallholders, rubber producers, processors and traders, to tire manufacturers, end users and civil society. Further to last year’s approval of the GPSNR policy framework, GPSNR members are currently working on developing implementation guidance and reporting requirements, as well as progressing capacity-building actions driven by the platform.

Global update on tire recycling and tire pyrolysis

Martin von Wolfersdorff
Principal advisor
Wolfersdorff Consulting Berlin
Germany
This global update on tire recycling and tire pyrolysis will include a global projects update and an innovation and technology update with a focus on tire-to-tire recycling.

New insights into tire recycling using micro x-ray fluorescence analysis

Stefan Frosch
Laboratory engineer
University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Germany
Recycling end-of-life rubber products is a challenging task. One possibility is to reuse ground rubber particles (GRP) as a filler for virgin material. However, this recycled material leads to a reduction in rubber properties in comparison with new compounds. One reason is that sulfur is migrating from the matrix into the GRP, which most likely reduces the cross-link density of the surrounding matrix material. Micro x-ray fluorescence analysis (µ-XRF) reveals this diffusion effect and illustrates chemical element distributions on a scale of several square centimeters. Additionally, these concentration differences can be quantified with newly developed methods.

Strengthening tire and rubber manufacturing sustainability with bio-based oils

Andrey Bodrov
Market development manager
Orgkhim BCH Management Company, JSC
Russia
The trend of using bio-components is strengthening. The sustainability goals of rubber and tire makers are now based on green products from renewable raw materials. As a result, the number of eco-friendly tires and rubber goods targeting higher quality and the environmental requirements of consumers is growing. As a world-renowned TDAE process oil maker, Orgkhim actively develops Phytonorman bio-based oils to strengthen the sustainable growth of tire and rubber makers. Having mostly similar properties to aromatic oils, Phytonorman improves tire ice grip. The bio-oils effectively substitute DBP, widening application opportunities in rubber compounds. The oils are highly compatible with synthetic rubber.

Effects of process parameters on pyrolytic products recovered from scrap tires

Balan Ramani
PhD researcher
University of Twente
Netherlands
Pyrolysis is a promising technology for waste-tire recycling, but current technologies have their limitations due to the low quality of products recovered during the process. A better understanding of the process is required to improve the quality of tire pyrolysis products. In this study, tire granulates are treated via an innovative pyrolysis process to determine the influence of process parameters on the yield and properties of the pyrolysis products, i.e. pyrolytic carbon black (pCB), oil and gas. The pCB is compared with commercial carbon black in terms of physical and chemical properties, and almost comparable products are produced by this technology.

Recovered carbon black: material characteristics and in-rubber performance

Arqam Anjum
PhD student
University of Twente
Netherlands
The aim of this study is to understand the different nature of pyrolysis carbon black compared with virgin carbon black. The current investigation is based on the influence of pyrolysis process parameters on the pCB material properties that are responsible for its reinforcing potential, including overall morphology and structure, and surface properties. Furthermore, the in-rubber performance of pCBs was evaluated and compared with the performance of virgin carbon black.

Panel Discussion

Stefano Savi
Director
GPSNR
Singapore
Stefan Frosch
Laboratory engineer
University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Germany
Andrey Bodrov
Market development manager
Orgkhim BCH Management Company, JSC
Russia
Balan Ramani
PhD researcher
University of Twente
Netherlands
Arqam Anjum
PhD student
University of Twente
Netherlands
Moderator:
Martin von Wolfersdorff, principal advisor, Wolfersdorff Consulting Berlin
Please note: this conference program may be subject to change