Advanced Materials for Tire Reinforcement - … Materials for ... (how many technologists in each area). ... – There was a way to get all the strength and modulus out of a

DuraFiber Technologies Global Headquarters 13620 Reese Boulevard, Suite 400 Huntersville, NC 28078

Steve Sherriff Clemson Tire Conference 20 April 2017

Advanced Materials for Tire Reinforcement

2DFTDuraFiberTechnologies,Inc.ProprietaryandConfiden=al

Textile reinforcement of balloon tires has been necessary since their inception. In current generations of radial tires for passenger and light truck tires, textile reinforcement represents 3-5% of the weight of the tire. Given its low content in the tire and its critical role in the tire, why are we stuck in the 20th century? What is the outlook for new textile reinforcements? Can the current barriers of low margin and risk adverse industries be addressed?

Abstract


• Durafiber represents a long commitment to textile reinforcement for tires. – ICI Celanese Hoechst – First producer of conventional PET for tires – Inventor and first producer of HMLS – Inventor and producer of Vectran fiber (developed for tires) – AA spin finish – Allied Signal – Beltec (compounded polymer) – First commercial practice of double dip adhesive technology – Production of higher tenacity PET

A continuing legacy


TEXDURATM–HT•  HighTenacityandUltra-highTenacityyarns,cords,

andFabrics–  Tire–T792,T793(AA),1X50,1H75,4G–  Industrial–T785,T800,T1W70,789–  SewingThread–T712–  HighTenacityNylonyarns,cords,andfabrics

TEXDURATM-XT•  TCFwithhightemplongover-cureadhesionpkg.•  HighTenacityYarns/Cordswithproprietaryfinishes–  AdvancedAdhesionSystems–  Seagard®-OffShoreMooring–  Lowik®–ResistancetoMould...RoofingFabrics

TEXDURATM–NX•  Nylonreplacementforoverlayandbodyplyin\res

withadvancedadhesion

TEXDURATM–RT•  Highermodulus,ultralowshrinkageHMLSforrayon

likeperformance

TEXDURATM - Our Portfolio “Durable Technical Textiles”

www.durafibertech.com

TEXDURA™-HP

•  HighPerformanceyarns,cordsandfabrics

•  HYBRIDS-StepChangeTenacity,Modulus,Thermalyarns,cordsandfabricsforTireandIndustrialApplica\ons

(AR-PET,AR-Nylon,PEN-PET,etc.)•  PEEK(Highthermal&chemicalresistance)(HighTenacityPEEKfibers,yarnsandfabrics)•  PPS(Highchemicalresistance)(HighTenacityPPSfibers,yarnsandfabrics)

TEXDURA™-FX•  HighTenacityFunc\onalYarns •  CLR(Solu\ondyedvibrantcolors)•  iFR(InherentlyFireRetardantyarns) •  PBT(StretchandRecovery)TEXDURA™-ECO•  SustainabilitySolu\ons•  Bio-BasedPolymers•  RecycleContent•  SustainableDipSystems


Tire Reinforcement Life Cycles

PET

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1920

1930

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Year

Ktons


My boss in 1992 when we were working on new reinforcements said :

“A tire company is unwilling to pay more than $3.00/lb for anything.”

Then we were selling yarn for treated fabric prices of today. I’m not sure it has changed. ($3 inflated to today is $5.22) I recognize there are specialty reinforcements ($$) for technical or marketing reasons which are used in small quantities.

Why Hasn’t HMLS RFL Treated Fabric Been Replaced


• Polyethylene Naphthalate – next generation polyester (1990): higher strength, higher modulus, lower shrinkage, higher glass transition temperature.

• Can use existing polymer production • Can be produced on current spinning/drawing machines with

modest investment • New monomer plant in US! Instead of only Asian supply. • Sounds Great!

Cost versus benefit--The Story of PEN


From a 2006 Presentation

• PEN has been demonstrated as an improved (versus PET) carcass reinforcement by all major tire companies.

• GY & Michelin have confirmed at 2X PET pricing it would replace a large portion of current PET volume and some rayon volume.

• Primary barrier to lower cost fiber is cost of naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid

• Current largest scale monomer plant is 100MM lbs (BP & Mitsubishi)

• Estimated to require economics of 1 billion lb monomer plant to reduce cost

•  Interest from resins and films is strong, but again monomer price is stumbling block for large scale use


1

10

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0.1 1 10 100 1000

Mar

ket V

olum

e (M

MLB

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Average Price ($/LB)

Price – Volume Relationship


Paying for Performance

Cost

Perf

orm

ance

1 2 3 6 10 12 100

•  Texdura HT •  Texdura XT •  Texdura RT •  PET

▲ N6

▲ Rayon

• PEN

▲ Aramid

▲ PBI ▲ PPS

▲ LCP ▲ PEEK

▲ N66 ß$5.5B Opp.

ß$1.3B Opp.

~ $100M Opp.

Hybrids à


•  Bi-benzoic •  PEN-Bi-benzoic •  M5-T improved nylon and others •  PEEK- polyether ether ketone •  POK - polyketone •  Bi-component fibers •  Polymer blends •  Nano-composites •  And the list goes on and on

Same Song Different Verse


• Tire Companies require two sources of supply – Bad things happen to good suppliers – Purchasing leverage – Need assurance from the beginning

• Licensing with issues of not invented here – Other textile suppliers, can I work around? It takes time. – Unwilling to pay to royalties – Tire companies have had aggressive patent strategies

• 2nd supplier unwilling to invest without commitments – Textiles are low return investments

The Barrier of Security of supply


• Tires prematurely removed from service (can’t say failed) – Result

- Extreme vetting -  Long qualifications - Need to re-tool

• Fear of patent ligation – Result

- Overly broad interpretation (CYA for lawyer) - Exclusivity-Lead time (one supplier and one customer => risk) - Novel material – product patent - Novel process – process patent - Novel result – application patent

Lawyers have boat payments too! The Barrier of having to defend yourself


• Request from tire customer: “Give us a solution for static build up.”

• Looked for solution from other applications. Found one! • Adapted it for tires. Little cost increase. Works in tires! • Another tire company has patent for totally different

performance reason with totally different materials (no static dissipation.)

• Tire company unwilling to implement based on possible patent conflict. Result was no business for us – no solution for customer complaint.

Different Song same ending


• The fiber producer (with low margins) want a take or pay contract for fiber only produced developmentally. With a contract in hand they can justify investment to install assets and negotiate contracts. They can not take the body blow if it goes no where.

• The tire company will not commit without a “bird in the hand” • Finance does not like promises (with qualifiers) or believe in

the mantra of “If you build it they will come”. • Can private ownership take the risk that corporations will

not?

The Barrier of Risk Taking


• Which gets cut first in commodity market? – Manufacturing head count (work harder, not smarter) – Quality and laboratory head count – Technology head count (what value are the providing?)(They

are hole into which we are pouring money.) It’s all about cash baby.

• The previous “advanced” reinforcements have come from technology/manufacturing companies and from central research..

The Barrier of Technology budgets


• Tire companies have largely defined their core business as tires and rubber (how many technologists in each area).

• Tire companies who were once involved in manufacturing textiles: – Goodyear - Dunlop – Michelin – Uniroyal - BFG – Cooper

• Tire companies who have looked to exit, but haven’t: – Bridgestone – Continental

The Barrier of Core Competency


• Anybody willing to step up to the plate and take a swing?

• Do you have an idea for me? I need a good idea to finish out my career.

Summary


• Wouldn’t it be great if? – There was a way to make aromatic monomers inexpensively – There was a way to separate the fiber out of crumb rubber

- Adhesive which can be reversed – There was a way to get adhesion without resorcinol

formaldehyde latex treating – There was a way to get all the strength and modulus out of a

fiber (no twisting). – There was an innovation which allowed single end cords to

cost the same as fabric – There was a way no textiles were needed (NOT)

Make America Great Again

Documents

Advanced Materials for Tire Reinforcement - … Materials for ... (how many technologists in each area). ... – There was a way to get all the strength and modulus out of a