Giti introduced a prototype of eco-material tires

In recent years, tire manufacturers have been competing to achieve the maximum proportion of eco-friendly materials in tire production, and now Giti Tire has joined the race, presenting a prototype tire consisting of 93% "green" materials.

The share of raw materials from renewable sources was 53%, and, for example, natural rubber was used, which, as emphasized by Giti, was obtained from plantations where the principles of legality, social and environmental responsibility are carefully controlled. The rubber was used in the production of tire sidewalls and internal structure, "ensuring their elasticity and durability".

Pine resin, a natural alternative to petroleum-based resins, was added to the rubber compound, which, according to the manufacturer, can improve traction and also increase safety on wet roads. Silica obtained from rice husk, a by-product of agriculture, rather than traditional quartz, was also used, reducing rolling resistance while improving safety on wet roads. Another "green" ingredient was plant-based antioxidants used to prevent the rubber from losing its properties throughout the life of the tire.

40% of the raw materials were recycled materials, such as rubber made from waste rubber products and tires, which can replace synthetic rubber produced from petroleum products. Recovered carbon black (rCB) was also used, replacing primary carbon black, which also reduces the consumption of petroleum products, and since it is obtained from recycled tires, it also helps to solve the problem of disposing of old tires.

The polyester cord for the prototype was made from PET obtained from recycled plastic bottles, one of the most common and problematic types of waste, and the reinforcing materials of the design were made from reused steel, which was produced from scrap metal.

As stated by Gao Qiang Sheng, Director of Research and Development at Giti, the development of an environmentally friendly prototype has become an important step for the company and a demonstration of the tire manufacturer's capabilities in the field of environmental protection, and earlier the company said that it intends to increase the share of eco-materials in raw materials to 30% by 2030 and to 100% by 2050.