New Products: Evonik presents Ultrasil 7800 GR for green tire production

ESSEN, Germany—Evonik's Ultrasil 7800 GR, a silica with a customized surface area that meets the demands of SUV and all-season tires, is the next step in innovation for green tires, according to an Evonik release.

The challenge for SUV tires is to give the tires sufficient stiffness in spite of their size, said Hark-Oluf Asbahr, marketing of rubber silica for Evonik.

"With Ultrasil 7800 GR, we managed to find the right mix to combine joy of driving, road safety and resource efficiency in a single product," he said.

Evonik said the new product meets a balance of maximum grip and minimal rolling resistance in large-surface tires as well as tires with high mileage requirements, such as all-season tires. The specific surface area of Ultrasil 7800 GR is increased, compared to Ultrasil 7000, and the product reinforces the tread compound and gives tires sufficient stiffness.

Asbahr said the direct feedback between the tire and the steering system results in significantly greater safety, including in the case of short and wet braking paths.

Improved abrasion resistance also contributes to an extended service life, which has a positive effect on the lifecycle assessment, said Evonik. A high level of traffic safety can be combined with lower fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions.

The product is relatively easy to process and permits an efficient production process in tire manufacturing, said Evonik.

The demand for SUVs is consistently on the rise worldwide, which is why it was important to develop a new product that meets future requirements, said Bernhard Schafer, head of rubber silica for Evonik.

Ultrasil 7800 GR will be produced in the U.S., and Evonik is building a new production facility in South Carolina. The new, world-scale silica plant is expected to become operational in mid-2018. At that time, Ultrasil 7800 GR will then also be produced there, Evonik said.

The New Products blog showcases innovations suppliers are introducing to the rubber industry. It focuses on new materials, machinery, molds, testing equipment, software, and other goods and services that are intended to help manufacturers of finished rubber products. The blog will appear on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To have your product considered for the blog, contact Online Content Editor Erin Pustay Beaven at [email protected] or Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].