Tires from Russian dandelion made? It could happen

Mark Duncan / AP

Today's tires consist largely of natural rubber and petroleum derivatives, but manufacturers are looking for alternatives.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, NBC News logged-in user
If demand for tyres will keep and raw material shortages exist, can drive you soon on flowers and beans.

With more and more cars on the road everywhere from Beijing to Boston, tyre manufacturers were hard-pressed nagging shortages of factory capacity problems, to overcome rising material costs and limited availability of natural rubber.

Manufacturers, such as Bridgestone and Goodyear leads in search of alternative materials such as soybean and Russian dandelion.

"Natural rubber is a sustainable, renewable resource, but the problem is that the industry so Apache - building 82 million cars in the year jetzt-- that keep a problem grows," said Michael Martini, President, original equipment tire sale for Bridgestone of Americas. "So we are looking for alternatives."

India also known as rubber or rubber, natural rubber is mainly formed by manipulating LaTeX by tapped rubber trees collected. Bridgestone relies on plantations in Liberia and Malaysia, but their competitors in turn to resources in other parts of the world: Africa and Asia, South America and the Indian subcontinent.

Frenchman Charles Marie de La Condamine first some basic features of the material described in 1736 and 34 years later British scientist that the Joseph Priestley pencil was discovered that the material well rub, marked paper, hence the name, rubber. But the large breakthrough came in 1839 as the American Charles Goodyear discovered the process of vulcanization, which the natural material in long-lasting tires may be used.

These days, the black Donuts contain a mixture of compounds including Bisphenol, soot, sulphur and peroxide and various petroleum derivatives and reinforcement of the materials as steel, polyester and nylon on your car. Natural rubber is still around 25% of the weight of a typical car tires, and even more for those used on commercial vehicles.

The problem is that that vehicle sales are booming as Martini. While sales in existing markets of United States as, Japan and Europe may be relatively stagnant or declining, emerging markets are almost exponentially. The Chinese market alone is no longer just a few million vehicles a year to almost 20 million in a decade and is expected to reach 30 million by the end of the Decade.

It takes about seven years for a rubber plant from seedling to a productive, tires go. And another problem is to find more land for the expansion of plantations.

So, some members of the tyre industry PENRA-have-the program for the excellent natural rubber alternatives-based at the Ohio State University Ohio agricultural research and development center connected. Much promising alternative is one of the Russian dandelion, whose tribal structure seems extremely well to produce what from an almost identical with, common rubber tree or hevea comes from natural latex.

Botanist know the plant as Taraxacum Kok-saghyz-not the common dandelion, this is the curse of the struggling American homeowners keep to their lawns green.

"We know that it more than 1,200 species of plants from which natural rubber in theory could be harvested, but search, which may practically produce the quality and rubber required, the requirements of today's tire market is a challenge, said Dr. Hiroshi Mouri, President of Bridgestone Americas Center for research and technology."

Among the many possible alternatives researchers on guayule, a shrub, have zeroed the southwestern United States and Northern Mexico native of.

Tiremakers have also worked with synthetic alternatives to rubber. Such alternative was crucial for the American effort in the second world war, when supplies of natural rubber by Axis powers were largely cut off. The disadvantage is that plastics are largely dependent on the oil.

The tyre industry is supposed to find not only sustainable alternatives to natural rubber, but they now use mainly oil come with alternatives for some of the non-renewable materials.

The Goodyear Innovation Center has a new method could come up with, the researchers believe, replace soy oil for more than 7 million gallons of oil per year. Another advantage is that the alternative ingredient appears to be able to improve tread life of less than 10 percent.

"Consumers benefit through improved tread life, Goodyear receives with increased efficiency and energy savings and we all win when there are positive effects on the environment," said Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear of the technical head of the Office.

The project, financed by a grant of $500,000 from the United Soybean Board soy-based tyre testing see prototype this year start. If it lives up to expectations they consumers until 2015 reach, Goodyear said previously.

General Motors is trading at an all-time low and Ford is at its lowest level in more than a year. Michaeli, Citi auto analyst and Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of Edmunds Italy provide perspective.

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Spare tires may be going the way of tailfins

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
DETROIT — Say you just bought a new car, and the right front tire goes flat as you're driving down the freeway.

Don't be surprised if there's no spare when you look in the trunk.

This year, more than 14 percent of new models on sale in the United States came with liquid tire sealant and a portable electric air pump instead of a spare, a trend that is growing as automakers try to shed pounds and boost gas mileage.

But there can be problems. While the sealant works well in most cases, you could be stuck on the shoulder if the hole that caused the flat is larger than a quarter of an inch, or if the puncture is on the side of the tire. In those cases, the only option is to have your car towed, and you may have to wait for a repair shop to track down a new tire.

"The last thing you want to do is find out the hard way that you don't have a spare tire if you're stranded on the side of the road," said Gene Petersen, tire program leader for Consumer Reports magazine.

However, General Motors Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and other automakers that use the pump-and-sealant kits say they have many advantages, mainly the weight savings. The kits are about 20 pounds lighter than a temporary spare and the jack and other tools needed to put on the tire. Also, the inflator kits don't take up as much room in the trunk, leaving more space for luggage or other cargo.

GM, which has made inflators and sealant standard on all but five of its 22 U.S. car and crossover models, said the kits can fix 85 percent of tire punctures. They're easy to use, even for someone who might be afraid of changing a tire, and they're safer because tires can be quickly refilled, getting the driver off the roadside and back in traffic faster than putting on a spare, said Dave Cowger, GM's tire engineering group manager.

Hyundai says the inflator kits help avoid another problem: getting dirty while changing a tire yourself. All you do is attach some tubes and fill the tire with sealant and air.

GM's market research, Cowger said, shows that half of consumers would call for roadside assistance rather than using a spare.

Also, new cars now come with electronic tire pressure monitors, so a slow leak in a tire is likely to be detected and fixed before it causes problems on the road, Cowger said.

GM, like many automakers, offers car buyers the option of getting a spare tire, charging $100 to $150 more for them. Cowger wouldn't say if GM saves money by swapping inflator kits for spares.

But many new car buyers assume that they're getting a spare and don't ask about it, said Ronald Montoya, consumer advice associate with the Edmunds.com automotive website.

"Unfortunately, this is something that many of us don't think of when shopping for a car," he said.

Plus, new cars are often equipped with larger wheels and performance tires with smaller sidewalls than regular tires. That helps a car handle better, but the sides of those tires take more punishment from potholes and are more prone to sidewall punctures, said Petersen.

Still, for the 85 percent of flats that the sealant can fix, there are 15 percent that it can't.

That's why Honda Motor Co. uses spares on all its 2011 models, spokesman Chuck Schifsky said.

"An actual spare tire is the best backup system should a customer have a flat tire," he said. "This is especially true in cases where the tire is damaged beyond what the tire sealant and pump systems can repair."

Nick Romito, an auto finance underwriter from Antioch, Ill., not far from Milwaukee, said he wouldn't buy a car without a spare tire. "I don't have a lot of confidence in those sealant products," he said. His family recently bought two used Ford Fusion sedans, both of which have spares, because Romito fears that the sealant could fail after it's squirted into the tire and under pressure from compressed air.

Automakers, however, say the sealant is reliable, but they recommend checking a few miles after fixing a flat to see if the tire needs a little more air.

GM also recommends that people drive no more than 100 miles before getting a sealed tire repaired. Cowger said drivers can travel at normal highway speeds after sealing a leak.

Like it or not, automakers increasingly are getting rid of spares as they face pressure to meet stricter government fuel economy regulations. By 2025, the U.S. car and truck fleet will have to average 54.5 miles per gallon under the standards, which are being phased in gradually. That's about double what cars and trucks now get.

According to Edmunds, just over 6 percent of all new car models had only the inflator kits in 2009, but that more than doubled by 2011.

"They need to find any way they can to reduce the weight of the vehicle, which will in turn make it more fuel efficient," Montoya said.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Spare tires may be going the way of tailfins

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
DETROIT — Say you just bought a new car, and the right front tire goes flat as you're driving down the freeway.

Don't be surprised if there's no spare when you look in the trunk.

This year, more than 14 percent of new models on sale in the United States came with liquid tire sealant and a portable electric air pump instead of a spare, a trend that is growing as automakers try to shed pounds and boost gas mileage.

But there can be problems. While the sealant works well in most cases, you could be stuck on the shoulder if the hole that caused the flat is larger than a quarter of an inch, or if the puncture is on the side of the tire. In those cases, the only option is to have your car towed, and you may have to wait for a repair shop to track down a new tire.

"The last thing you want to do is find out the hard way that you don't have a spare tire if you're stranded on the side of the road," said Gene Petersen, tire program leader for Consumer Reports magazine.

However, General Motors Co., Hyundai Motor Co. and other automakers that use the pump-and-sealant kits say they have many advantages, mainly the weight savings. The kits are about 20 pounds lighter than a temporary spare and the jack and other tools needed to put on the tire. Also, the inflator kits don't take up as much room in the trunk, leaving more space for luggage or other cargo.

GM, which has made inflators and sealant standard on all but five of its 22 U.S. car and crossover models, said the kits can fix 85 percent of tire punctures. They're easy to use, even for someone who might be afraid of changing a tire, and they're safer because tires can be quickly refilled, getting the driver off the roadside and back in traffic faster than putting on a spare, said Dave Cowger, GM's tire engineering group manager.

Hyundai says the inflator kits help avoid another problem: getting dirty while changing a tire yourself. All you do is attach some tubes and fill the tire with sealant and air.

GM's market research, Cowger said, shows that half of consumers would call for roadside assistance rather than using a spare.

Also, new cars now come with electronic tire pressure monitors, so a slow leak in a tire is likely to be detected and fixed before it causes problems on the road, Cowger said.

GM, like many automakers, offers car buyers the option of getting a spare tire, charging $100 to $150 more for them. Cowger wouldn't say if GM saves money by swapping inflator kits for spares.

But many new car buyers assume that they're getting a spare and don't ask about it, said Ronald Montoya, consumer advice associate with the Edmunds.com automotive website.

"Unfortunately, this is something that many of us don't think of when shopping for a car," he said.

Plus, new cars are often equipped with larger wheels and performance tires with smaller sidewalls than regular tires. That helps a car handle better, but the sides of those tires take more punishment from potholes and are more prone to sidewall punctures, said Petersen.

Still, for the 85 percent of flats that the sealant can fix, there are 15 percent that it can't.

That's why Honda Motor Co. uses spares on all its 2011 models, spokesman Chuck Schifsky said.

"An actual spare tire is the best backup system should a customer have a flat tire," he said. "This is especially true in cases where the tire is damaged beyond what the tire sealant and pump systems can repair."

Nick Romito, an auto finance underwriter from Antioch, Ill., not far from Milwaukee, said he wouldn't buy a car without a spare tire. "I don't have a lot of confidence in those sealant products," he said. His family recently bought two used Ford Fusion sedans, both of which have spares, because Romito fears that the sealant could fail after it's squirted into the tire and under pressure from compressed air.

Automakers, however, say the sealant is reliable, but they recommend checking a few miles after fixing a flat to see if the tire needs a little more air.

GM also recommends that people drive no more than 100 miles before getting a sealed tire repaired. Cowger said drivers can travel at normal highway speeds after sealing a leak.

Like it or not, automakers increasingly are getting rid of spares as they face pressure to meet stricter government fuel economy regulations. By 2025, the U.S. car and truck fleet will have to average 54.5 miles per gallon under the standards, which are being phased in gradually. That's about double what cars and trucks now get.

According to Edmunds, just over 6 percent of all new car models had only the inflator kits in 2009, but that more than doubled by 2011.

"They need to find any way they can to reduce the weight of the vehicle, which will in turn make it more fuel efficient," Montoya said.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Continental recalls tires on Ford pickups

Continental AG is DETROIT (Reuters) - North American unity reminds about 391,000 tires that were made most of on a new Ford Motor Co F-250 and F-350 heavy duty pickup trucks, U.S. regulators said on Friday.

About 330,000 were placed on the new trucks, and some were sold as replacement, continental, said made the tires in Mexico from May 2007 to September 2008.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the tire recall 65,000 pickup trucks in the United States and Canada concerned.

Vehicles affected trucks, model years 2008 and 2009. Each truck has usually four tires and a spare. Ford continental provide with his owner information.

The company said continental that will replace tires, of some irregular wear and vibration can occur, in a letter to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The main concern is that if the trucks are overloaded or the tires under inflated are, "Separation of the belt edges may leads to a Department of tread" can occur.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall, editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Lisa von Ahn)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters.

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