AKRON (June 2, 2008) — Lanxess A.G. has developed a nano-sized high-performance rubber additive for tires it claims can cut the wear rate of tire treads without affecting other key performance properties.
The new additive, Nanoprene, consists of particles of about 50 nanometers made from polymerized styrene and butadiene—traditional tire rubber raw materials.
These nanoparticles have a swell-resistant, highly crosslinked core with special anchor points on their surface, enabling them to be linked perfectly with silica and silanes, the company said.
This action results in increased wear characteristics without affecting wet grip or rolling resistance, Lanxess said.
Visit www.lanxess.com for more information.