Could Polar Bear Paws Lead to Better Tire Traction?

AKRON, Ohio — With winter weather intensifying this week—just ahead of Christmas—we all know the warnings in Northeast Ohio: Be careful and take it easy on the ice and snow.

Tire technology is always evolving to improve traction, but University of Akron researchers believe they’ve discovered a possible way to provide a better grip on the roads, and it involves an arctic animal that often weighs more than 1,000 pounds: The polar bear.

The researchers, Ali Dhinojwala, the H.A. Morton Professor of Polymer Science in the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, Nathaniel Orndorf, a 2022 Ph.D. graduate …

Source: News 5 Cleveland