There are enough of them. The birch trees, that is. The rubber for car tires, on the other hand, can be a problem. Now Swedish chemists want to solve the problem with the bark from the trees.
Together with a team of Swedish chemists, Nokian Tires is currently trying to improve an already recyclable material for car tires – the so-called Reselo Rubber.
Reselo Rubber is made from the residues from the global paper and plywood industry. The new thing is that they will try to mix the material with the bark from birch trees.
The partners write this in a press release.
– According to the initial laboratory tests we have carried out on Reselo Rubber, it has great potential to replace traditional fossil-based materials in tires.
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– In addition, the material is not only renewable, but we believe that it can also be used to improve the performance of the tyres, explains Heini Siekkinen, Senior Manager, Research & Sustainability at Nokian Tyres.
According to the tire company and the Swedish chemists, the first tests have already shown that there is potential. Especially in tires for use on commercial machines. Therefore, it makes sense to continue with the development.
It is especially in tires for more demanding purposes that the tire compound can become relevant. For example, in cars with a large load capacity or with a higher load. Conversely, Nokian says that it already had a goal that half of all raw materials for tire production must come from recycled materials.
Incidentally, tire manufacturers are not the only ones looking for alternative materials. The car manufacturers do the same. Do you know, for example, how many old plastic bottles end up in the cabin of a new Skoda? Read more about it here .
At BMW, you are ready to go one step further. As early as November 2022, the brand's top management encouraged motorists to keep their current cars a little longer.
– We really need to think more about how we extend the life cycle of cars. Here I am not talking about the used car market in general, but about how we make the individual car last longer, said the head of sustainability at BMW.
Read more exciting news from and about the world of cars right here!
