XIAMETER® Brand Silanes Key to 'Green' Tire Production

MIDLAND, Mich., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- As drivers look to improve fuel economy and road safety and reduce their environmental impact, tire engineers are using XIAMETER^® brand sulfur silanes to create the next generation of "green" tires.

"Green" tires first emerged as a concept in the 1990s, when tire engineers discovered they could reduce rolling resistance and improve traction on wet or icy surfaces if they used silane with silica as a reinforcing filler in tread compounds, instead of the traditional fossil fuel-derived carbon black, but higher manufacturing costs hindered widespread adoption. A breakthrough came in the early 2000s when Dow Corning technologists used Phase Transfer Catalysis (PTC) technology to develop a method through which the silane needed for the silica treatment component could be made more affordably.

"Wider use of green tires could save millions of barrels of oil per year and would also reduce carbon dioxide emissions significantly. As more green tires come on the road, the amount of fuel and pollution savings could be staggering," stated Norm Kanar, XIAMETER® global marketer for silanes.

Silica-reinforced tires are more resilient than traditional tires. This gives them better traction on wet and icy surfaces and can reduce stopping distances by as much as 15 percent, making the roads safer for everyone.  These sulfur silane products are manufactured by Dow Corning Corporation and available via the XIAMETER brand.      

Silanes are versatile materials used in a wide range of applications, including adhesion promoters, coupling agents, crosslinking agents, dispersing agents and surface modifiers.  A full line of silane products available from the XIAMETER brand can be found at www.xiameter.com. A short video on sulfur silanes is available at www.youtube.com/user/XIAMETER.

About XIAMETER

The XIAMETER^® brand of Dow Corning Corporation, offers market-driven prices for standard silicone products.  Introduced in 2002, the brand offers more than 2,100 products including silicone fluids, sealants, silanes, emulsions and rubber.  The XIAMETER brand is a no-frills model offering cost effective products through streamlined services and a web-enabled order platform. Learn more at www.xiameter.com.

About Dow Corning

Dow Corning (www.dowcorning.com) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company's Dow Corning^® and XIAMETER^® brands. Dow Corning is a joint venture equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States.

SOURCE XIAMETER