Rubber Journal Asia Green Rubber
Green measures to recalibrate the impact of tyres The use of green rubber and recycling of
end-of-life tyres (ELTs) can mitigate the carbon impact of the tyre industry, says Angelica Buan in this report.
Carbon emissions from tyres The evolution of vehicles has taught us lessons on how transportation has contributed to the economic advancement and, on the one hand, the rising pollution levels. The transport industry is touted to account for nearly a quarter of global carbon emissions. Pivoting to lightweight, fuel-efficient models and electric vehicles (EVs) may deliver the needed change towards a decarbonised automotive sector, but their utmost adoption will not happen overnight. Looking past EVs and lightweight cars, pollution guardians have spotted the quintessential part of a vehicle as a pollution contributor – the tyres. Recent findings by Emissions Analytics indicate that pollution from worn tyres is a thousand-fold worse than vehicle exhaust emissions. It reported that harmful particle matter from tyres, as well as brakes, is a growing environmental problem. The increasing demand for EVs, its batteries make them heavier than standard cars, and large, heavy vehicles such as SUVs, worsen the situation. The report added that vehicle tyre wear pollution is completely unregulated, unlike exhaust emissions, which have been rapidly reduced by car makers in light of the stringent emissions regulations. New cars now emit very little in the way of particulate matter but there is growing concern around non-exhaust emissions (NEE), which impact air quality. NEEs are particles released into the air from brake wear, tyre wear, road surface wear and resuspension of road dust during on-road vehicle usage. Currently there is no legislation on the limit or reduction of NEEs. These emissions are believed to constitute the majority of primary particulate matter from road transport, 60% of PM 2.5, and 73% of PM10. The UK’s Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) 2019 report, Non-Exhaust Emissions from Road Traffic, recommends recognising NEEs as a source of ambient concentrations of airborne particulate matter, even for vehicles with zero exhaust emissions, such as EVs. As a short-term remedy, the researchers suggest fitting higher quality tyres as a way to reduce NEEs; to have the tyres inflated to the correct level and to effectively reduce vehicle weight.
Pollution from particulates being released by worn-out tyres is 1,000 times worse than vehicle exhaust emissions, according to a study
There are a few other studies that have pointed to tyres as a source of pollution particles. Back in 2019, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) launched a study highlighting microrubbers being released by worn out tyres. Microrubbers are the finest particles from tyre abrasion, mainly from cars and trucks, which enter the soil and air through the road surface or are removed by artificial turf. In the study, it found that tyre abrasions are responsible for 97% of the particles released in the environment; and 3% by artificial turf. From1988 to 2018, around 200,000 tonnes of microrubbers have accumulated in Switzerland’s environment, EMPA stated. Findings such as the abovementioned bring attention to how tyres, a major component in mobility developments, can actually make or break the green initiatives of the automotive sector. Tyre makers rally for low-rolling resistance tyres One of the main focuses of the tyre industry’s innovations is on lowering the rolling resistance of tyres for better fuel economy and greater reduction of carbon emissions. Low-rolling resistance green tyres have come about because of a growing awareness of making tyres environmentally-friendly and adoption is advancing, with global tyre brands responding to this demand.
3 OCTOBER 2020
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