Advanced truck and bus radial materials for fuel efficiencies (Final Report)
- PPG Industries, Monroeville, PA (United States)
PPG Industries, Inc. and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) propose to develop a novel surface-modified silica technology and demonstrate 4-6% improved fuel efficiency of Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tires built from the technology. The proposed fuel efficiency increase will be achieved while maintaining or improving tear strength and tread wear. During rubber mixing, distributing silica in the rubber matrix is a challenge. This is because silica has a very polar surface, while rubbers have little polarity. It was hypothesized that surface treatments could cover part of the surface by hydrophobic groups, and reduce the surface polarity, thus helping to wet the silica with rubber during mixing and improving silica dispersion. During the project, the effect of different silica surface treatments on the surface energy of silica were determined, and related to the silica dispersion in rubber compounds. The results demonstrated that reducing the surface energy of silica samples improved dispersion in rubber compounds. Also, the preference for silica to migrate to the different phases in polymer blends was determined. The studies performed in binary polymer blends showed that carbon black has a preference to distribute in the different polymer phases in the order: SBR>BR~NR. Commercially available silica samples (treated and untreated) showed a preference in the order of SBR>NR>BR. Finally, the silica prototypes showed a preference in the order SBR=NR>BR. The knowledge gained regarding dispersion of treated silicas in rubber compounds was used to perform a series of studies to develop a silica – rubber compound combination with optimum performance for TBR treads. Initially, two silica prototypes (BXR-990 and BXR-991) were developed and used for a tire build at BATO’s tire plant in Warren County, TN. Results were evaluated and further silica and compound optimization was performed, prior to a final tire build. Manufacturing of the final silica prototype (BXR-1006) for the final tire build was performed at the PPG Silicas Pilot Plant in Monroeville, PA. Afterwards, experimental tires with silica-filled treads and control tires with carbon black-filled treads were built at BATO’s Warren County tire plant. The experimental TBR tires with silica-filled treads achieved the project goals for lab performance indicators, tread hardness and tear strength. The tires showed a 2.2% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the control tires. While this improvement is lower than the 4% goal set initially, the improvement is significant and there are indicators that up to a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency could be achieved. This is supported by the confirmation of the validity of the fuel efficiency indicators made at the beginning of the project, and by the improvement in hysteresis and rolling resistance from tires built earlier in the project. The experimental tires produced using the BXR-990 silica prototype showed 47% improvement in tan δ at 60°C and 16% improvement in rolling resistance. Based on the results obtained, it is valid to estimate that the tires built with BXR-990 could provide around a 5% improvement in fuel efficiency, should we perform a fuel efficiency test. Tire wear for the experimental tires was 31% worse than for the control tires with the carbon black-filled tread compound. Other tools and further analysis of factors affecting wear are necessary to be evaluated to produce a silica tire with wear comparable to carbon black. Experimental and control tires were provided to the DOE for independent testing.
- Research Organization:
- PPG Industries, Monroeville, PA (United States); Bridgestone Americas Tires Operations (BATO), Morrison, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0006794
- OSTI ID:
- 1494682
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-PPG-11111-1
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: 1.Okel, T.; Martin, J. Innovating the silica surface for Improved NR truck tire vulcanisates. Tire Technology International, February 2014.2.Okel, T.; Martin, J. Functionalized silicas for improved NR truck tire vulcanizates. Rubber World 2014, 249(2), 19-24.3.Okel, T.; Martin, J. Bringing Innovation to the Surface: Functionalized Silicas for Improved Natural Rubber Truck Tire Vulcanizates. 184th Technical Meeting of the ACS Rubber Division, October 2013, paper #33.4.Okel, T.; Kollah, R.; Martin, J. Agilon Performance Silicas in Natural Rubber Truck Tire Tread Compounds. 180th Technical Meeting of the ACS Rubber Division, October 2011, paper #70.5.The Tyre. Rolling resistance and fuel savings. Michelin 2003. https://community.michelinchallengebibendum.com/docs/DOC-32126.Tires & Truck fuel economy. A new Perspective. Bridgestone. https://blog.truckenterprises.com/2012/01/04/bridgestone-tires-truck-fuel-economy-a-new-perspective/
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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