Pirelli renews sustainable materials partnership

Milan, Italy – Pirelli has extended its link-up with CORIMAV (Consortium for Research on Advanced Materials), the University of Milano-Bicocca for another six years, the Italian tire maker has announced.

To date, 55 doctoral scholarships have been funded and awarded by CORIMAV, according to a Pirelli press statement issued 14 Feb.

With a remit to develop innovative materials technologies, the consortium supports research and experimentation activities and promotes training and skills initiatives for young researchers.

The joint project will continue through the funding of 18 new PhD scholarships for research activities which are focused on sustainability, announced Pirelll.

Focus areas will include studies relating to new materials obtained from renewable sources and agro-industrial waste, lowering the environmental impact of the tire production and improving the environmental degradability of tires.

For instance, Pirelli cited how CORIMAV research has led to the patent that resulted in Pirelli using lignin in the production of bicycle tires and soon also in some specifications for cars.

Another example, it noted, is the consortium’s patenting of nano-silicates that deliver high performance grip and smoothness on dry and wet surfaces.

The nano-silicate technology also improves the mechanical resistance of the tread, which enhances protection against punctures and tire life, as well as optimising rolling resistance.

The Pirelli-Bicocca University Consortium shows how important “collaboration between companies and universities can be, triggering processes and methodologies for ever greater environmental sustainability,” said Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice chairman and CEO of Pirell.

“A continuous exchange of knowledge aimed at the reciprocal training of researchers in order to improve the product and stimulate continuous innovation," added Tronchetti Provera.