Goodyear said it would use ash – left after the burning of rice husks to produce electricity – as an environment friendly source of silica for tyres.
The company has tested silica derived from rice husk ash over the past two years at its US innovation centre and found the impact on tyre performance equal to traditional sources. It is now negotiating with potential suppliers to source rice husk ash silica for tyre production.
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“The use of rice husk ash will provide Goodyear an alternative source of silica while helping reduce the amount of rice husk waste being landfilled,” said Joseph Zekoski, interim chief technical officer.
Each year, more than 700m tonnes of rice are harvested worldwide, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN, 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.
Silica is mixed with rubber in tyre treads to increase the rubber’s strength and help reduce rolling resistance, which improves fuel economy. It also can have a positive impact on a tyre’s traction on wet surfaces.
“Goodyear’s innovation efforts are focused on making tyres more environmentally friendly – in their materials, in their performance and in the manufacturing process,” said Zekoski.
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