What this post contain ?
Highlights
History of tyres
Why tyres are black in color?
What happens by the addition of carbon black ?
Highlights
- According to a study the total production of tyres in India was around 169 Million, with increasing automobile demand the demand of wheels is also increasing.
- Tyres were earlier white in color and chauffeurs have to keep cleaning them all the time .
History of tyres
According to a study the total production of tyres in India was around 169 Million, with increasing automobile demand, the demand of wheels is also increasing. Earlier tyres were of bronze in chariots , and in many cars tyres were of leather and wooden wheels were also seen in the bullock carts but never of rubber because rubber is not a material that is strong enough to carry such heavy weight on it and no one would have ever imagined in that time that every automobile would be running on the same rubber tyres. But how all this has happened ? The answer to this question is that the naturally obtained rubber is not that strong to bear the weight of the automobile but with the addition of carbon black the desired properties of rubber can be increased. And this all had happened in 1900s when the founder of now “Crayola” company, supplied carbon black chemical to the Goodrich tire company then they all came to realize that the addition of carbon black to the rubber increases many desired qualities like it enhances the durability of rubber, increases it’s tensile strength and with these enhanced properties the demand of the black tyres increased significantly and till now they are so widely used that no one looked back for white tyres.
Why are tyres black in color?
Tyres were earlier white in color and chauffeurs have to keep cleaning them all the time because it becomes so difficult to maintain the white color and on the other hand black color tyres are easy to maintain when compared to white color but for only this convenience the color of the tyres is not kept black rather this has happened mistakenly and this later on became most adopted thing and no one have ever looked back for the white colored tyres thereafter. The black color is bestowed to the tyres by the carbon black which not only changed the cosmetic speciality of tyre but enhanced other properties of tyres for instance : the lifespan of tyre is increased by this additive as it protects the tyre from the UV radiation which decreases durability of the tyres by hardening them which ultimately makes them more prone for breakage.
Also Read : When should I change tyres of my car ?
What happens by the addition of carbon black ?
What is carbon black?
Carbon black is a compound which produced by the partial combustion of hydrocarbons and it is used as an additive in the automobile industry for the manufacturing of tyres. Carbon black is an amorphous powder which is of black color. Other than the additive in automobile industry it can be used to prepare ink and coating as it makes a protective shield against UV radiation that is why used in many other fields as well.
Many changes can be observed by the addition of carbon black to the rubber. The natural rubber have low resistance to temperature, have low tensile strength, low durability and there are many more qualities which natural rubber lack but with the addition of carbon black many profitable changes can be seen with many improved properties.
Benefits of adding carbon black
- The addition of carbon black to rubber acts as a stabilizing ingredient which boosts the strength and tensile strength of rubber because of which heavy weight of car becomes bearable to the tyres and with this car run well on any terrain be it plain roads or any rough path.
- Carbon black also keeps heat away from tyres as when the tyres comes in contact with road in the scorching heat it do not absorb heat which is generated by the friction between the road and tyre, rubber which originally tends to absorb heat but after the addition of the carbon black to the rubber, it enhances the property of tyres because of which tyres do not absorb heat generated from the friction between the road and the tyre and with this tread wearing can easily happen and this generated heat can also melt the tyres but all thanks to carbon black with which tyres become resistant towards heat So, one can say it increases durability of tyres.
- The carbon black additive also protects the tyres from UV radiation, as tyres comes everyday in contact with the UV radiation and this UV radiation deteriorates tyres and decreases their life span that is why it is suggested to park cars in a place where they becomes less in contact with the UV rays this way you can increases the longevity of tyres.
- The black carbon additive also make cosmetic changes to the tyres which is though not as important property as the above ones are but somewhere we have to appreciate this features as well which is introduced by the carbon black as you can not totally stick to your tyres all the time and keep cleaning them so that they look clean all the time because it is difficult to maintain white tyres in comparison to black tyres. So the addition of carbon black have done this fantastic job as black color is easy to clean and can go with any color.
Also Read : 5 ways to extend the lifespan of your car tyres.