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Don’t judge a tire by its maker!

The growing semiconductor chip shortage has directly translated into a lack of new vehicles. Customers who are tired of waiting increasingly turn to used cars. When buying a used car, one of the first things one might do is to change tires, as they are easily disposable. Choosing the right tire is critical to safety and drivability. Of course, the tire brand name would be one of the critical criteria in selecting the right tires, but one also needs to look further into what they are made of. Did you know that Hyosung’s technology is embedded in tires indispensable to our daily lives?

Embedded in the tire - reinforcement materials

One might think that tires are made of rubber but that’s not the case. There are a lot of reinforcement materials inside tires that ensure better safety, lifespan and drivability.

Here are some of them:

l  Tread: the rubber on the circumference that makes contact with the road

l  Carcass: the inner layer of the tire which helps in absorbing load and shock

l  Belt: located between tread and carcass, belts resist punctures and help treads and carcasses to stay safe when driving.

l  Cap ply: Cap ply helps tires hold shape and keep them stable at high speed.

l  Bead: the reinforced section that comes in contact with the rim and prevents air leakage from within the tire

There are so many reinforcement materials in tires. The carcass has polyester tirecords, belts have nylon tirecords and steel cords, and the bead has bead wire as reinforcement materials. Hyosung Advanced Materials manufactures all of these materials with its unparalleled technology and production capacity.

Tirecords built on green materials

Hyosung’s polyester tirecords (PET) enjoy nearly 50% of market share in the world and Hyosung Advanced Materials has long maintained its number one position in the global market for over 20 years.

As the leading player, Hyosung continues to put efforts and investment into green product development. Hyosung Advanced Materials has begun the development of recycled PET products using waste plastic bottles since 2020, and has now completed its commercialization. This product can contribute to reducing environmental degradation by cutting down on landfill volume and carbon emissions. Compared to conventional tirecords, it emits 44% less greenhouse gas.

Hyosung has also developed bio-PET yarn from ethylene glycol extracted from sugar canes or corns. This contributes to a 16% cut in greenhouse gas emission compared to existing polyester tirecords.

Hyosung’s commitment to a net-zero society is also manifested in its lyocell tirecords made from wood. Hyosung Advanced Materials has succeeded in the development and production of lyocell tirecords extracted from wood in a bid to replace rayon tirecords optimized for high speeds under which durability is the key.

It uses raw materials extracted from wood and thus when put into production it does not emit carbon bisulfide or sulfureted hydrogen. In turn it does not require water treatment for processing the harmful materials, meaning less water contamination caused by the production process. For these reasons, global tire makers around working on carbon emission cut are turning to lyocell tirecords that promise a 30% cut in greenhouse gas emission.

Hyosung Advanced Materials continues on its journey to sustainability on the steady rolling tires

The Company’s journey does not end there. Hyosung Advanced Materials has been leading the world in carbon neutral green management by investing in R&D on high strength and lightweight products. The aim is to contribute to cutting greenhouse gas emission and energy consumption while further enhancing the durability of tires.

As a reliable supplier of the materials to the world’s top tire makers, Hyosung Advanced Materials will continue on its efforts in R&D and technology development.