In the manufacturing process, the tread compound is possibly the most variable, gets a lot of attention from the compound scientists, and is fine-tuned to the application of the product. Mud- and all-terrain tyres that deliver excellent traction, for example, cannot be expected to deliver the tread mileage of a tyre engineered to operate only on paved surfaces.
The tread is just one of the 7-11 compounds that make up a tyre, with each one applicable to a specific task - from holding together the various layers of nylon and polyester, to encasing the bead wires, or ensuring that the sidewall has a specific flexing characteristic. Each compound, in turn, may contain 10-14 ingredients, including various types of rubber (of which up to 60% will be synthetic and produced from…
