A Short Story of Rubber Compound
At the beginning of the 20th century tire-makers began thinking about the quality of rubber compounds tires are made from. They started adding special chemical elements to rubber compound to increase its wear and heat resistance properties so that the tires should be durable and long-lived.
From then on, all tires were reinforced with synthetic materials up to the 80s of the previous century. During the term different types of cord were created – rayon, nylon, polyester cord, fiberglass, metal cord and aramid fiber cord. Every ten years saw the invention of the new cord type.
In 1933 the cost of a standard high-class passenger tire in the USA fell down to 11 dollars while average tread mileage increased and was more than 23,000 miles. As a result, the cost of 1000 miles equaled to nearly 50 cents in comparison with 2.27 dollars that you had to spend in 1920 on the same distance.
Before the World War II there appeared one more means of tire quality improvement. It was synthetic rubber. Under the guidance of the US government all the tire makers temporarily refused from competing and united their efforts to quicken the development of synthetic rubber. Their collaborative work resulted in GRS building rubber. In the Soviet tire-making industry synthetic rubber has been used from 1933 and by 1940 73 per cent of tires had been made from it.
Synthetic rubber is the main component of all tires produced nowadays. It provides for substantial improvement of tire quality that cannot be achieved with the use of natural rubber only.
Israeli Road-Builders Make Roads from Old Tires
Road-makers from Israel has been carrying out an unusual experiment for some time, namely they are making roads with the help of crumbs from processed tires. The new technology helps get rid of old tire in an eco-friendly way while adding solidity to new roads.
The technology is as follows: old tires are treated with the help of special equipment, iron wire is extracted from them and the rubber goes through a so-called grinder to become “coarse-ground” rubber. As a result of the final processing they get 2-mm crumbs that are used for road construction.
The innovative technological process is electronically controlled through a central control panel that helps watch all the equipment units together and follow all the processes going on at the plant. The production cycle is managed by a single operator, so there’re twenty-five people working at the plant including managers and security.
Fine parts of metal cord are separated with the help of magnets and clear rubber goes to the fines stages of processing. Everything is used to the full extent and nothing remains from the former tire.
The ecological benefit from the project cannot be underestimated. Every year three million tire are thrown away in Israel. Luckily, two-thirds of them are processed to get back on the road in the form of asphalt and rubber mixture. Almost 3,200 tires are needed to build a mile of an experimental road. And it is an excellent way to recycle used tire, isn’t it? Furthermore, the new asphalt is more durable than standard one and provides for smoother ride.
Dunlop Gets the Winter Tire of the Year Award
Dunlop SP WinterSport 3D tire was chosen the “Winter Tire of the Year” by the British TyreReviews internet portal. Such a decision was taken on the base of visitor opinion as well as various tests the tire has undergone. Dunlop thinks that this fact can improve the situation with the use of season tires in the UK.
The SP WinterSport 3D has already taken several top places in winter tire tests and is considered the best one among medium-class winter tires. Last year (2010) it showed its excellence in the tests conducted by the leading German and Austrian automotive journals and got a “Recommended” mark at ADAC Motorwelt/OAMTC and Stiftung Warentest tests.
The ADAC, the leading German automotive association, described the tire as a balanced one, with safe and reliable performance on various types of surfaces including wet roads. The OAMTC also recommended this the tire thanks to its superb performance on dry asphalt roads as well on snow.
The experts of the largest European automotive journal, the Auto Bild, have tested different 195/65R15 tires mounted on the Volkswagen Golf VI vehicle; and Dunlop SP WinterSport 3D was the winner. In the Sportscars tests carried out on the base of the Audi TT among the 245/40R18 V tires the first prize was taken again by the WinterSport 3D.
The British tire legislation, unlike that of the majority of European countries, doesn’t include special rules concerning the use of winter tires, though 94 per cent of people that took part in the public opinion poll at TyreReviews think that the government must issue a law about winter tires.
Is it Cheap to Replace Tires on Bugatti Veyron?
If you think that it’s expensive to keep your car in order, you should obviously get acquainted with the following facts. The Autocar magazine told its readers about the luxurious Italian Bugatti Veyron sports vehicle and the tire it is equipped with. The money its owner has to spend on the tire replacement and car maintenance makes the car one of the most expensive and even money-robbing in the world.
Bugatti Veyron comes with Michelin Pilot Sport Pax System tires. There’re 245/690 R520 A on a front axle while rear tires feature 365/710 R540 A size. It’s not cheap at all – car owners have to spend as much as 30,000 Euro to replace the tire on their favourite Bugatti Veyron.
The main reason for such a high price tag is the tire’s uncompromised performance and excellent high-speed durability. You can safely develop speeds of up to 252 mph, which you are not likely to find with the majority of tires.
Still, the expenses are even higher. Every forth tire replacement operation (provided that you have enough money for it) must be accompanied by disk check. The car is fitted with 20-inch wheel disks and all of them must be examined on cracks and other, which costs as much as 8,000 Euro.
Furthemore standard Bugatti Veyron service takes 14,700 Euro. If you add the cost of tire replacement of the cost of a new wheel disk to the sum, you can see that the total price escalates up to 50,000 Euro.
Are you still thinking that your car is expensive?
