Precipitated silica is used to improve the in-service performance of passenger car tires. Developing tread compounds with highly dispersible silica (HDS) increases the laboratory predictors of wet traction and rolling resistance while maintaining the wear resistance compared to carbon black-filled compounds.
As a result of the EU regulations mandating the labeling of all tires for rolling resistance, wet traction and noise levels, the use of silica in tire treads is expected to increase. A series of highly dispersible silicas have been developed for use in various tire components, particularly the tread and carcass compounds.