Goodyear reaches supply agreements for rice husk ash silica
Date: 10 Jun 2015
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Company has reached a supply agreement with Yihai Food and Oil Industry in
China for silica derived from rice husk ash. Goodyear will begin using the
silica this year in a consumer tyre that will be manufactured in its factory in
Pulandian, China, and sold in China. This was stated in a company press release.
Goodyear has tested silica
derived from rice husk ash over the past two years at its Innovation Center in
Akron and found its impact on tyre performance to be equal to traditional
sources.
“Sustainability is a
cornerstone of Goodyear’s innovation efforts,” said Chairman and CEO Richard J.
Kramer, adding that “This new silica benefits the environment in many ways: It
reduces waste going into landfills; it requires less energy to produce; and it
helps make tires more fuel efficient.”
Each year, more than 700
million tons of rice are harvested worldwide, according to the Food and
Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, and disposing of the rice
husks is an environmental challenge. As a result, husks often are burned to
generate electricity and reduce the amount of waste shipped to landfills. While
this ash has been converted to silica for several years, only these most recent
processes created a silica of a high enough grade to use in tyres.
Silica is used as a
reinforcing agent in tyre tread compounds. Compared to carbon black, a
traditional reinforcing agent for tyres, silica reduces rolling resistance.
Lower rolling resistance, in turn, improves a car’s fuel economy. It also can
have a positive impact on a tyre’s traction on wet surfaces.
In addition to the agreement
with Yihai, Goodyear is negotiating agreements with additional suppliers.
Financial details of the agreements are not being released, the press release
added.
Source: Goodyear Tire
& Rubber Company