Continental, Kordsa partner on adhesion system development

HANOVER, Germany—Continental A.G.'s tire division is partnering with Kordsa Inc., an international supplier of textile reinforcing materials for the tire industry, to develop a sustainable adhesion system standard for bonding textile reinforcing materials to rubber-based compounds.

The two companies have agreed to develop a technology replacing resorcinol and formaldehyde with more environmentally friendly chemicals. Test results to date have been "very promising both in the laboratory and in test tires," said Boris Mergell, head of worldwide research and development of passenger car tires at Continental.

Continental is planning the progressive introduction of the technology in tire production across all segments in a further step toward greater sustainability, Mergell said.

"Numerous suppliers are currently working on solutions of their own and the complexity of the approvals process alone for all of the unique solutions could soon become excessive," Mergell said. "That's why our approach in this collaboration is to make the technology accessible to other suppliers and competitors, thereby laying the foundations for a new adhesion system standard."

The changed formula used in the dipping of tire cord fabrics is an environmentally friendly alternative to resorcinol and formaldehyde-based adhesives widely applied for more than 80 years, according to Ibrahim Yildirim, chief technology officer at Kordsa.

Continental and Kordsa are planning to introduce a free licensing concept for the new adhesion system, and provide more details at the Tire Expo 2018, which takes place in February in Hanover.