“Goodyear is a valued partner with a long history of setting trends in new product development and the use of new technologies,” said Anup Jain, PPG vice president. “We look forward to supporting Goodyear in its tire advancement efforts with the use of Agilon performance silica.”
Goodyear said it plans to incorporate Agilon silica into further high-value-added tires in other regions in 2015.
When substituted for the traditional silica-silane combination in tire compounds, Agilon performance silica can improve vehicle fuel efficiency, tire traction and treadwear by as much as 5 to 10 percent, Mr. Jain said. Silica is used as a reinforcing agent in tire tread compounds in place of carbon black, a traditional reinforcing agent for tires.
“Our customers around the world are demanding more fuel-efficient tires, but they want us to minimize the typical trade-offs,” said David Zanzig, director of global materials science for Goodyear.
“Our materials scientists worked in cross-functional teams and, together with tire design and construction engineers, they derived an integrated solution that optimizes performance. This new silica plays a critical role in satisfying our customers' needs.”
Goodyear said Agilon also yields environmental benefits. Since it is easier to mix into compounds, factories consume less energy in the tire production process and lessen emissions.