RSS feed: news [?]

Home » News » Established additive for innovative tires from LANXESS

Vulcuren, the crosslinking agent from LANXESS, is not just a valuable crosslinker and anti-reversion agent for the manufacture of energy-saving “green tires". It is also an alternative to the secondary accelerator N,N’ diphenylguanidine (DPG), say experts in LANXESS’ Rubber Chemicals business unit. DPG is widely used in the manufacture of fuel-saving silicon tires, but is not suitable in combination with silanes such as Si 363. Furthermore, DPG can give off aniline under vulcanization conditions. Vulcuren does not exhibit this effect, which many customers do not want.

“Consumers around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the important role that tires play in reducing the fuel consumption of automobiles,” explains Dr. Thomas Brackemeyer, Head of Global Product Management Specialty Products in LANXESS’ Rubber Chemicals business unit. “Tire development is influenced, among other things, by the tire labeling system soon to be introduced in Europe. At present, only green tires with silicon technology are expected to achieve good classifications. Formulation development is very innovative in this area.”

In the production of “green tires”, the hybrid crosslinker Vulcuren from the Leverkusen-based specialty chemicals group has already earned a good reputation as a very balanced anti-reversion agent and a scorch-proof secondary accelerator. Vulcuren optimizes vulcanization during tire manufacture and also functions as an anti-reversion agent to improve product performance. It generates thermally stable carbasulfane crosslinks in the elastomer matrix that are not subject to the typical rearrangement reactions of vulcanizates that are crosslinked with sulfur.

In replacing N,N’ diphenylguanidine as the secondary accelerator in silicon tread mixes, Vulcuren offers two additional benefits – it opens up new opportunities for innovative silanes in the development of advanced tires, and prevents the release of aniline under vulcanization conditions. “Vulcuren and DPG are based on two completely different kinds of chemistry. For users who are aware of the aniline problem and are looking for a new secondary accelerator, Vulcuren represents a tried-and-tested alternative with an excellent track record,” continues Brackemeyer.

All rights reserved. No information from the web site may be reproduced without the permission of the magazine's editorial board.

© Eurasian chemical market, 2005-2012