Researchers in Spain have shown that a modular tire in which tread and casing are designed as separate pieces stays together while in use, provided that it’s properly inflated.
“This is an encouraging step toward a more sustainable tire architecture, where the worn tread could potentially be replaced while the main tire structure is reused,” says study team member Farshad Afshari, a PhD researcher at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)..
A modular automobile tire could be easier to recycle compared to conventional ones, which require time- and labor-intensive separation of rubber treads and sidewalls from steel belts and bead cores. It would also use materials more efficiently, since there would be less material to replace at any given time.
