Hanover, Germany
The new sustainable polyester yarn
will be obtained from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles by a mechanical
process and will be used in the construction of the tyre carcass. This can
completely replace conventional polyester. Together with its cooperation
partner and supplier OTIZ, a fiber specialist and textile manufacturer, the
premium tyre manufacturer has developed a special technology to recycle PET
bottles without previously necessary intermediate chemical steps and to make
the polyester yarn functional for the high mechanical requirements of the tyre.
As part of the recycling process, the
bottles are first sorted, caps removed and finally mechanically cleaned. After
mechanical shredding, they are melted down and granulated; this is followed by
solid state polymerization and a modified spinning process. Laboratory and tyre
tests conducted by Continental have shown that secondary raw material fibres
perform equally well as the fibres used up to now. They have the same quality
as virgin PET, are just as stable, and are particularly suitable for tyres due
to their breaking strength, toughness and thermal stability.
Conventional PET has long been used
as a material in car tyre construction because it retains its shape even under
high loads and temperatures and thus ensures safety at all driving speeds. The
use of recycled PET conserves valuable resources in tyre construction.
Circular economy is an integral part
of Continental's sustainability strategy Recycling is becoming increasingly
important in the design, development and production of premium tyres. By 2050
at the latest, Continental aims to successively use 100 percent sustainably
produced materials in its tyre products. With the use of recycled PET, the tyre
manufacturer succeeds in taking a further step toward circular economy.
ranks among the technology leaders in tyre production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. The portfolio of the tyres business area includes services for the tyre trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tyres.
Source: Continental Press Release
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