Cabot Corporation expands E2C solutions for use in retreading of OTR tires
Boston, MA – Cabot Corporation announced the expansion of its Engineered Elastomer Composites (E2C™) product line for use in retreading applications for off-the-road (OTR) tires. Enabled by propriety process technology that mixes reinforcing carbons into elastomers, E2C solutions for the OTR tire retreading application deliver premium performance that maximizes the life of retreads, improves the productivity and efficiency of mining operations, and reduces impact on the environment.
Retreading is a prime example of the circular economy as worn tires are repaired for reuse rather than being disposed as waste. As tire manufacturers and mining companies look to decrease their environmental footprints, retreading OTR tires can save tires from landfills and enable fleets to operate more sustainably. OTR tire retreaders and rubber compound suppliers can now leverage Cabot’s state-of-the-art E2C products to extend the life of the retread by as much as 30%, reducing tire costs and improving the productivity of operations by decreasing the frequency of truck downtime for a tire replacement while minimizing impact on the environment.
Cabot’s current portfolio of E2C products, which includes E2C™ DX9730, E2C™ DX9640, and E2C™ FX9390 grades can deliver several benefits for retreading applications. Since E2C products are delivered in a pre-mixed form, rubber compounders can create differentiated products without the need to handle additional specialty fillers and can expand production capacity by reducing both the time and total number of mixing steps. Rubber compounders have used Cabot E2C products in both tangential and intermesh type mixers for rubber compounding. Both pre-cure and strip winding processes can be used to retread OTR tires made with E2C solutions. Retreads leveraging E2C technology have been successfully deployed into field locations in both North and South America in OTR tires ranging from 35 to 63-inch diameter.
“Sophisticated operators of OTR vehicles have long recognized the economic and sustainability benefits of retreading tires and have worked together with retreaders and rubber compound manufacturers to build a circular economy that reuses a significant quantity of OTR tires,” said David Reynolds, vice president and general manager, Cabot Engineered Elastomer Composites. “We are excited to offer our state-of-the-art elastomer composites, which offer best-in-class tread compound performance to the OTR retread industry. In addition to enabling further reductions in cost per hour, the use of E2C solutions in OTR retreads can extend retreading into the most demanding OTR applications. This increases the opportunities for retreading as a sustainable solution for the mining industry and aligns with our purpose to create materials and solutions that enable a more sustainable future.”
The expansion of E2C products for use in retreading of OTR tires furthers the commercialization of these products in mining applications, as Cabot continues to execute against its long-term growth objectives for the business. For more information about Cabot’s E2C portfolio, visit cabotcorp.com/e2c.