Continental Tyres set to use recycled plastic bottles in tyres from 2022
The new sustainable tyres will be made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and used in the construction of the tyre carcass – completely replacing the need for conventional polyester.Tyre brand Continental Tyres has announced that they will start using reprocessed polyester obtained from recycled plastic bottles in tyre production from 2022.
Continental Tyres with its partner and supplier OTIZ has developed a special technology to recycle plastic bottles into high-performance material. Not only is this a new sustainable method but this method can now be done without the usual chemical processes required to ensure the polyester yarn is functional for high mechanical usage.
Lab and tyre tests conducted by Continental Tyres have shown that the recycled raw material fibres perform equally well as the fibres used today. They have the same quality as non-recycled PET, are just as stable, and are particularly suitable for tyres due to their breaking strength, toughness and thermal stability.
As part of the recycling process, the bottles are first sorted, caps removed and mechanically cleaned. They are then melted down and granulated; this is followed by solid state polymerisation and a modified spinning process.
Conventional PET has long been used as a material in car tyre construction because it retains its shape even under high loads and temperatures. The use of recycled plastic conserves valuable resources in tyre construction; today, a conventional passenger car tyre consists of around 400 grams of polyester yarn. This means that more than 60 recycled plastic bottles can be used for a complete set of vehicle tyres in the future.
Recycling is becoming increasingly important in the design, development and production of Continental Tyres. By 2050 the brand aims to use 100 per cent sustainably produced materials in its tyre products.
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