Winter tyre uses NR - silica compound

ERJ staff report (RD)

Nokia, Finland -- The tread of the Hakkapeliitta 7, a studded winter tyre from Nokian Tyres, is made from a compound of natural rubber, silica and canola oil, “which provides grip in extreme winter conditions, endurance against wear and tear and wet grip,” the Finnish company said on its website.

According to Nokian, the high proportion of silica in the compound gives the tyre “extremely low rolling resistance,” thereby reducing fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

The company did not add further information on the compound, except to note that the silica is used to adjust the hysteresis profile of the tyre.

Historically, compound engineers have found it hard to achieve good rubber-filler interaction with NR-silica compounds, relying instead on synthetic rubbers and silane modifiers to deliver good rubber-filler interaction.

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Profile of the Hakkapeliitta 7 from Nokian Tyres