SAILUN’s SDGs: Tires’ Sustainable Materials to Hit 100% by 2050

Yuan Zhongxue, Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Rubber and Tire and Honorary Chairman of Sailun Group, announced Sailun Group’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) during the 2024 China Rubber Conference on March 27^th. By 2030, the SDGs are to increase the sustainable material used in tire production to 40%, and by 2050, to achieve 100%. By 2030, the goal is to decrease energy consumption and carbon emissions by 30% per tire compared to those of 2022.

Sailun Group announced the current status and plans for sustainable material applications in tires, unveiling two high-content sustainable material tires at the 2024 China Rubber Conference’s themed forum: a passenger car radial tire (PCR) with a sustainable material content of 75% and a truck and bus radial tire (TBR) with a sustainable material content of 80%. Both tires boast a rolling resistance coefficient of 6.0 and 3.8, respectively, meeting the highest grade stipulated by the EU labeling regulations — Grade A.

Through innovative breakthroughs in materials, compounds and construction design, these two tires achieve full life cycle sustainability. The compound utilizes butadiene rubber synthesized by using butadiene monomers obtained from pyrolysis of waste oil, carbon black produced by waste tire pyrolysis oil, silica produced using carbonic acid method instead of sulfuric acid method, zinc oxide produced by recovered zinc. Also, steel cords and bead wires are produced utilizing recycled steel, while polyester cords are produced with recycled PET for tire reinforcement. In addition, in terms of construction design technology, new materials such as plant-based rayon and PA56 are used to replace traditional polyester cords and nylon cords, which further promotes the eco-friendly transformation of tire materials.

In the future, Sailun Group will continue to provide society with superior tire low-carbon solutions, empowering people green mobility and enabling a better life.