LANXESS introduces new rubber additive for longer-lasting tires

Vulkanox HS Scopeblue made from 55 percent sustainable raw materials

LANXESS’ new rubber additive Vulkanox HS Scopeblue supports tire manufacturers in producing more sustainable, longer-lasting tires and in achieving their sustainability goals.

The antidegradant from the specialty chemicals company is the sustainable variant of the proven antioxidant Vulkanox HS (TMQ), which tire manufacturers use to effectively protect their products from adverse effects of oxygen and heat. The additive is also characterized by low volatility and low migration tendency.

Compared to the conventionally manufactured product, the carbon footprint of Vulkanox HS Scopeblue is more than 30 percent lower. This is achieved by using biocircular acetone and renewable energy in production. The mass-balanced product is manufactured in an ISCC PLUS-certified plant in Germany. Since the overall chemical structure of the product remains unchanged, no modifications to the tire manufacturing process are required and customers can use Vulkanox HS Scopeblue as drop-in to produce more sustainable tires.

The additive is marketed under the LANXESS Scopeblue label, which stands for products with a particularly low carbon footprint or a high proportion of circular raw materials. “With Vulkanox HS Scopeblue, we have developed another product that enables our customers to manufacture tires more sustainably and meets the growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials,” says Dr. Holger Graf, head of the Functional Tire Additives business line at the LANXESS Rhein Chemie business unit. “With this antioxidant, we extend the lifetime of tires while reducing their ecological footprint.”