CANCELLED: Predicting Tire Performance by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

Tire manufacturers are constantly looking for possibilities to lower rolling resistance as a way to boost fuel economy. They are constrained by the “Magic Triangle of Tire Technology”: changes in rolling resistance influence wet traction and durability as well. Lower rolling resistance commonly leads to reduced wet grip or traction. Silica technology has greatly stretched this triangle for a 30% reduction in rolling resistance, which improved fuel efficiency by 3-5% for passenger and light truck vehicle tires.

 One of the important aspects in the development of new tire compounds is the correlation between the dynamic mechanical properties of the rubber, measured on laboratory scale, and the actual tire performance. The measuring protocol for the dynamic mechanical properties for high precision and good correlation with tire properties, and the prediction of the latter based on these data are the main concerns. In this paper, the most relevant work done on this field will be reviewed, and an overview of the correlations between material properties and tire performance will be given.