LANXESS has unveiled Vulkanox 4060, a new anti-aging agent for tires that the company says could provide the industry with a more environmentally favorable alternative to widely used 6PPD.
The new additive, chemically known as CCPD (N,N'-Dicyclohexyl-p-phenylenediamine), is designed to deliver the same technical performance as 6PPD, an anti-aging chemical used in nearly all tires to protect rubber from degradation caused by oxygen and ozone.
The move comes amid growing environmental scrutiny of 6PPD and its transformation products. In particular, 6PPD quinone has been linked to coho salmon die-offs in the U.S., intensifying pressure on tire manufacturers and chemical suppliers to find alternatives.
LANXESS says testing to date indicates a significantly improved environmental profile for CCPD. In environmental studies, CCPD quinone—the corresponding transformation product of Vulkanox 4060—showed no observed acute effects in coho salmon testing up to the solubility limit.
The company has also cleared a key regulatory hurdle in Europe. With the completion of its EU REACH registration, Vulkanox 4060 is now approved for use in the European market.
“Vulkanox 4060 is LANXESS’s response to a specific ecotoxicological and regulatory challenge the tire industry is facing. Extensive testing by LANXESS and our customers has shown that CCPD matches the technical performance of 6PPD – while offering a significantly improved environmental profile. With the completion of the REACH registration, we can now offer this product to the market,” says Holger Graf, Head of the Functional Tire Additives Business Line at LANXESS.
“Initial commercial production of Vulkanox 4060 is already planned for the fourth quarter of this year. This represents another milestone in meeting the strong interest from our customers, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, and in further driving the replacement of 6PPD.”
LANXESS says sustainability was built into the development of Vulkanox 4060 from the outset, reflecting its commitment to the “Safe and Sustainable by Design” principle.
The company says CCPD was selected with the aim of improving the product’s environmental profile, with factors including degradability, bioaccumulation, aquatic toxicity and regulatory compliance considered during development.
The new additive arrives as tire manufacturers face mounting pressure to future-proof their supply chains against increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
For LANXESS, the launch represents a push to accelerate the tire industry's transition away from 6PPD while maintaining the performance standards required to protect tires from aging and environmental damage.
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