A-Level Elastomers List

Tires are made from rubber, wrapped around the car's wheels to create a buffer between the car and the road, and make the vehicle easier to control. Tires are the only part of a vehicle that is designed to be in contact with the road surface.

Depending on the type of tire as well as the purpose of service, rubbers, pigments, oils and additives will be selected to create the right tire with the required characteristics. The material mix will contain about 20% natural rubber, 25% neoprene, the remaining 55% will be metal and many other materials. Michelin says its tire products contain a lot of chemical ingredients that help tires have low rolling resistance or have very high traction.

I'd like to add that, nowadays, there are more than 200 components used when making tires; classified into 5 main groups: natural rubber, neoprene, carbon black and silica, fabric and metal fibers, chemical agents. Each part needs different components.

Natural rubber: Natural molecular compound. Rubber tree Hevea Brasin is the most characteristic representative of the natural rubber tree. It is a very strong tree, the height of the trunk can reach 30m and the diameter from 0.8-1.5m. Hevea grows well in tropical countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, India and many others. The amount of natural rubber is exploited mainly in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Synthetic rubber: Butyl rubber is a copolymer consisting of a small amount of isoprene rubber (about 1-3%) and isobutylene catalyzed by AlCl3 dissolved in methyl chloride.

Black carbon: a powerful climate-warming component of particulate matter formed by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, wood, and other fuels.

Silica: a reinforcing ingredient in tread blends. When compared to the traditional reinforcing element, black carbide, this new silica reduces rolling resistance, which means more fuel savings for the vehicle. You can check out some tires at here

As Ostin stated the average car tire is made up of hundreds of different chemicals, all of which contribute to the overall performance of the tire. The main component of a tire is synthetic rubber, which is an artificial elastomer composed of polymers. 

Over time, the long polymer chains that make up synthetic rubber will break down into shorter and more stable chains. This process is known as polymer degradation and it can cause cracks in the tire and lead to a significant decrease in the tire's tensile strength. 

The lifespan of a tire is often determined by how well it resists polymer degradation. In general, tires will start to degrade after about five years and will continue to degrade at an accelerated rate thereafter. While there are ways to slow down or even prevent polymer degradation, there is nothing to do to stop the natural process. You can find more tips and how to guides to extended the lifespan of tires here.