Wilmington, DE and Akron, Ohio (Vocus/PRWEB ) July 15, 2009 -- Scientists from DuPont have helped The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company by taking DuPont technology for high-strength Kevlar® products and applying it to Goodyear tires. Goodyear-produced tires with Kevlar® fiber are targeted for use in conditions ranging from tough, rocky terrain to everyday highway driving, and can help provide stability, toughness and comfort.
"DuPont has been working with Goodyear for years to help develop tires that are high-performing," said Thomas G. Powell, vice president and general manager, DuPont Protection Technologies. "For more than 40 years, DuPont™ Kevlar® has been recognized worldwide for its proven performance in a wide variety of safety and high performance applications, including automotive and tires; body armor and protective apparel; aerospace and airplane components; and energy solutions. We continue to focus on reinventing our offering with new technologies that make a difference in everyday life."
“In recent years, we have been using components such as DuPont™ Kevlar® to develop tires that provide relevant benefits to consumers,” said Jon Bellissimo, Goodyear’s North American director of consumer tire technology. “In our extreme off-road tires, the reinforced sidewalls with Kevlar® help increase sidewall puncture resistance. I believe the Kevlar® name also strikes a responsive chord among off-road enthusiasts because of the inferred toughness and the tire’s ability to maneuver on and in many different surfaces.”
Tire reinforcement was the initial application for Kevlar® more than 40 years ago. Using DuPont's knowledge of material properties, the Kevlar® yarns are designed and developed into cords to meet Goodyear’s tire performance needs for passenger cars, trucks and airplanes. The material property advantages of Kevlar® are extensively used globally in developing new tire concepts that help deal with the challenges of the road, ride and comfort, handling, thermal and flame resistance, reduced tire weight and road noise, among others. In addition, development compounds are processed globally each year with Kevlar® Engineered Elastomer (EE) to optimize the mixing process and reinforcements of the different rubber parts of a tire to meet performance goals.
In 2005, Goodyear introduced Wrangler® and Fortera® tires with SilentArmor Technology™, featuring a layer of Kevlar® under the tread to deliver toughness and a smooth and quiet ride. In 2006, Goodyear introduced the Eagle® with ResponsEdge Technology™, which has a sound- and shock-absorbing InsuLayer™ made with DuPont™ Kevlar®.
Among the latest innovations:
Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. The company employs about 70,000 people and manufactures its products in more than 60 facilities in 26 countries around the world. For more information about Goodyear consumer tires, go to http://www.goodyeartires.com
