Goodyear To Study Tire Materials Reaction In Space

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company plans to test tire components in space as part of a project in the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, through an experiment expected to launch later this year.

In the microgravity environment of the space station, Goodyear will study the formation of silica particles, a common material used in consumer tires. By gathering knowledge from this evaluation, Goodyear engineers and scientists can determine if further investigation of unique forms of precipitated silica should be considered in tires.

“Goodyear has been a pioneer in tire innovations related to space, with the first and only tires on the moon, numerous projects with NASA and now this,” said Eric Mizner, Goodyear’s director of global materials science. “It underscores our passion for going to the ends of the earth – and beyond – to develop new technologies that help us deliver breakthrough products with true consumer benefits.”

Goodyear made the announcement during the ISS Research and Development Conference, held in San Francisco.

Recent academic experiments in microgravity conditions have demonstrated the ability to generate unique morphologies that could show potential in delivering higher performance products. Should a breakthrough take place with this Goodyear investigation onboard the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, it could lead to improvements in fuel efficiency and other performance factors.

 

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