Queen Mary research targets tire wear reduction through new testing methods

London – Researchers at Queen Mary University of London are developing new methods to predict and reduce tire wear, with findings already informing development programmes at major tire manufacturers and materials suppliers.

Led by professor of materials James Busfield, the research focuses on how tires “abrade, lose grip and consume energy,” and how these processes can be controlled through rubber compound design.

According to QMUL, the work is already influencing tire development programmes at Continental and Sumitomo Rubber Industries, as well as carbon black supplier Birla Carbon.

The research has helped translate scientific findings into improvements in tire "formulation, testing and performance," the university said in a recent research update.

Over more than a decade, Busfield's team has developed “laboratory methods that replicate the interaction between tire treads and road surfaces under more realistic driving conditions.”

The methods allow the researchers to investigate wear, grip, abrasion and energy loss at “microscopic and molecular levels.”

The team has also examined how different rubber compounds, reinforcing materials such as carbon black, and tread designs influence tire performance.

According to QMUL, the work has revealed why some compounds perform well under certain conditions but "abrade rapidly in others".

The findings are providing manufacturers with tools to optimise tire materials for specific environments and applications.

A particular focus has been on understanding "smear wear", a phenomenon in which tire surfaces develop a smooth protective layer under certain driving conditions.

QMUL said its team was among the pioneering groups in Europe investigating the mechanism, which could offer a means of reducing tire abrasion.

According to the university, understanding and enabling these wear mechanisms through "careful compound design" could significantly reduce material loss from tire surfaces.

This could help minimise the release of tire wear particles and microplastics, while simultaneously extending tire lifespan.

The researchers have also investigated how tire wear particles form, change over time and interact with the environment.

Their studies found that particles are "chemically and physically different from the original tire material" and continue to change after release.

Processes including oxidation and structural reorganisation alter particle properties over time, potentially affecting their persistence and interactions with air, water and soil.

The findings could support the development of compounds that "wear more slowly, produce fewer particles" and potentially reduce environmental impacts, Queen Mary said.

The research has also contributed to advanced modelling tools used in motorsport and high-performance vehicle development.

Alongside its tire wear studies, Busfield's team is investigating chemical recycling methods for end-of-life tires.

The work focuses on breaking and reforming crosslinks in vulcanised rubber under specific processing conditions, potentially allowing recovered materials to be used in new tire production.

According to the university, around 26 million tonnes of waste tires are generated globally each year, while recycling remains difficult because rubber polymer chains are chemically crosslinked.

The team is seeking to develop materials that can be recycled into new tires, potentially reducing waste and demand for virgin raw materials.

Queen Mary's Soft Matter Research Group also includes researchers working on carbon black-reinforced rubber compounds, tire-road friction and tire wear particles.

The group's research also includes work sponsored by Continental on carbon black activators for tire tread compounds.