New concept tire from Nokian
Nokian Tyres and UPM, a manufacturer of various biomaterials, have jointly developed the Nokian Green Step Ligna concept tire, made using a new eco-friendly material that can potentially replace significant amounts of technical carbon used in the tire industry.
"The innovative UPM BioMotion RFF material based on lignin [a polymer found in various plants], which is 100% derived from a renewable source, represents a promising alternative to traditional technical carbon, allowing for a reduction in the need for fossil raw materials and carbon emissions in tire production," says Nokian.
Nokian has long been exploring the possibility of using lignin (it has already started adding it to rubber compounds, for example, Pirelli), and a patent has been registered for the new material. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, UPM will be able to produce the new "green" raw material at its biorefinery complex, which is currently under construction in Leuna (Germany), and supply it to tire companies.
"The partnership with Nokian Tyres will allow us to bring our functional fillers to the global market," noted Michael Duetsch, Vice President of Biochemistry at UPM. "The successful demonstration of their practical significance will help us lay the foundation for the development of our business in the field of bioprocessing and make a significant contribution to the transformation of the mobility sector."
The Nokian Tyres Green Step Ligna has become the first tire made using UPM BioMotion RFF, and in the production of the sidewalls, all technical carbon was replaced with wood-based raw materials.
"By presenting this concept tire, we are demonstrating the applicability of the new raw material in tire production," said Teemu Soini, Vice President of Innovation and Development at Nokian, adding that "by creating a prototype tire from renewable raw materials, we aim to set new standards for environmental responsibility."
According to Soini, Nokian is constantly working on innovative technologies that help the company move closer to its goal of increasing the share of eco-friendly raw materials - renewable or recycled - in the production of its tires to 50% by 2030. "Since 2022, part of the technical carbon used by Nokian Tyres has been produced from recycled materials," he noted. "We consider lignin to be a promising alternative to traditional technical carbon and hope that in the future, lignin-based fillers will find application in the tire industry, expanding the use of recycled raw materials."
Technical carbon is used by manufacturers as a reinforcing filler that increases the strength of tires, and, as Nokian says, laboratory tests have shown that UPM BioMotion RFF surpasses standard technical carbon in its characteristics. "Replacing a significant part of the technical carbon currently used with a new material from a renewable source opens up great opportunities for the production of more environmentally friendly tires, since fillers account for 30% of the raw materials in the tire industry," the company noted.
In the first stage, the new material will be supplied to Nokian, which will assess its applicability in tire production. Tests will be conducted to understand how the new raw material affects the level of safety and environmental impact compared to traditional technical carbon. The concept tire will be presented at the DKT conference, dedicated to the issues of the rubber industry, which will be held in Nuremberg (Germany) from July 1 to 4.