Silica and natural rubber combound in tread band

The tread compound designed for Northern winter combines natural rubber, silica, and rapeseed oil. The compound provides the tire with winter grip under extreme conditions, as well as wear resistance and wet grip.

The mixture of natural rubber and silica give the winter tire very good wear resistance. Rapeseed oil adds grip on snow and ice, as well as tear strength, making the tire very resistant to contact with sharp-edged rocks, for example.

The high silica content allows the studded tire to achieve low rolling resistance, thereby reducing fuel consumption and harmful emissions. Earlier, combining a high amount of natural rubber with a high amount of silica has been problematic. Silica is used as a bonding agent in the tire instead of carbon black.

The silane (Cryo-silane) that acts as a medium improves the functionality of the silica and natural rubber combination under varying winter conditions.