By: Ethan Vasquez and Slater ElkindIntro EngineeringPer: 4

• The first reliable tire was created by Charles Goodyear in 1839. (Solid rubber)

• In 1888 John Boyd Dunlop created the first pneumatic tire. (Rubber casing filled with air)

• In 1908, Frank Seiberling invented grooved tires with improved road traction. 

• From then to now, the only improvement to tires was an increased life-span.

A tire is made up of more than 200 components. These materials come from a range of different sources:

1)Plants (natural rubber and rayon), which are renewable

2)Petroleum (synthetic elastomers, carbon black, chemicals)

3)Minerals (silica, metal reinforcements)

• A tire is composed of the natural resources rubber, iron, and ore.

1)The rubber, which is used for the tread of the tire, comes from rubber trees.

2)The iron and ore, which are used for the steel reinforcements in the tire, are recovered from iron and ore mines.

• The raw materials used are rubber, oils, pigments, antioxidants, carbon black or silica, accelerators and other additives.

• The raw materials are mixed together in a huge blender, which is called a Banbury.

• After the mixing process is completed a gum like material forms. This material is then cut into strips. These strips will make the sidewalls and other portions of the tire.

• The inner line of the tire is made of two layers of synthetic rubber.

• Then another double layer of poly fabric is pasted. Then follows two strips of apexes to harden the area.

• Then 2 chafer strips are then pasted. • Then automatic rollers press all the

parts. It helps the parts to bind. • After an inspection the tire goes for

curing process. In the curing process the tire is heated up to the temperature of 300ºF for 12-25 minutes. It gives the tire a proper shape.

• After the inspection the tire is ready to roll.

• From foreign countries tires are transported on ocean containers which are carried by cargo ships.

• From state to state tires are shipped by freight trucks.

• More than one-billion tires are sold each year.

• Today, the average life span of a tire ranges from 60,000 t0 80,000 miles.

• Tires are usually not reusable. If a

tire is punctured or damaged, it is unrepairable.

• There are many different types of tires:

1)Snow Tires2)Racing Tires3)Off-road/All-terrain Tires4)Street/Sport Tires

• Tire piles create environmental, safety, and health hazards:

1)Breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rodents, which carry diseases, including West Nile virus, encephalitis, dengue fever, and hanta virus.

2)Tire pile fires can last for months, releasing extremely toxic pollutants into the air, creating serious respiratory and other health problems for people even miles away.

3)Tires aren’t biodegradable.

• More than 80% of tires in the United States are being recycled in various ways:

• Used as fuel • Used in civil engineering projects • Recycled into other products or projects;

for example, rubber lumber, stall mats for horses, roof pads, sports mats, shower tiles, truck bed mats, and commercial flooring

• Ground up and used in rubber-modified asphalt for roads and athletic tracks

• Sent to other countries, where they are used to make retreads

• Mitchell, D. (2005). Used Tires: Reuse, Recycle, Retread. http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fewhours/used-tires.htm

• Cris, P. (2009). How Tires are Manufactured. http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Tires-are-Manufactured?&id=128182

• Elsbuerry, W. (2009). The Austringer >> New Tire Life Cycle Proposed. http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2006/04/08/new-tire-life-cycle-proposed/