Lanxess has created an eco-friendly antioxidant for the tire industry

Lanxess has developed a new additive for rubber compounds, Vulkanox HS Scopeblue, which will help manufacturers make tires more environmentally friendly and durable, as well as bring them closer to achieving their sustainability goals, the company's press service reported.

The new material, which features low volatility, is an environmentally friendly alternative to the Vulkanox HS (TMQ) antioxidant, which tire companies use to protect their products from the adverse effects of oxygen and heat. Compared to the traditional product, the carbon footprint of the additive has been reduced by more than 30%, which was made possible by the use of "biocircular" acetone and renewable energy.

The additive is produced at a plant in Germany that has the ISCC Plus environmental certificate, and since the overall chemical structure of the material has remained unchanged, no changes to the production process are required, and Lanxess customers can use it to increase the environmental friendliness of their tires, the company adds.

Under the Scopeblue brand, Lanxess releases products that are characterized by a low carbon footprint or a high proportion of environmentally friendly raw materials.

"This is another product that enables our customers to produce tires while reducing environmental damage and meeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly solutions," said Holger Graf, head of the functional additives business for the tire industry at Rhein Chemie, which is part of Lanxess. "Thanks to the new antioxidant, we are extending the service life of tires while reducing their environmental footprint."