The Goodyear Tyre & Rubber Company has won the Tyre Technology International Award for Innovation and Excellence in the category ‘Environmental Achievement of the Year’, during the 2018 Tyre Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany.
The technology represents a breakthrough by Goodyear in applying soybean oil in the tread compound of tyres, instead of traditional petroleum oil.
Over the past few years, Goodyear has worked with the United Soybean Board, in the US, to develop soy-based technology to enhance tyre performance.
Following extensive analysis and road testing, this new technology is now being used in new Goodyear tyres.
Goodyear discovered that soybean oil could improve tyre flexibility at low temperatures, helping the rubber to remain pliable in cold weather, while also enhancing traction in rain and snow simultaneously.
Additionally, Goodyear discovered that soybean oil mixes more easily with rubber compounds, while also reducing energy consumption, therefore improving tyre manufacturing efficiency.