Bridgestone research targets molecular-level simulation of tire compounds

Tokyo – Bridgestone Corp. and Japan’s Tohoku University have launched a joint fundamental research programme aimed at better understanding the performance of tire-rubber compounds.

The research will tap the capabilities of Tohoku University’s soft materials research centre in ‘sensor-based measurement science’ and ‘simulation-based computational science’, said Bridgestone 2 Aug.

Combined with Bridgestone’s deep knowledge of rubber compounds, the project aims to improve the physical property calculation technology used in the simulation of tire behaviour.

A “multimodal measurement network” will be used to predict the function of rubber materials by analysing compounds at atomic and molecular levels, as well as higher-order structures.

Explaining the purpose of the project, Bridgestone said tires have a complex layered structure, with minute structural differences in materials having “a large impact on performance”.

As the materials cannot be fully understood by statistical processing of data, a new approach is needed to evaluate the complex structures more quantitatively, the tire maker added.

“Through this joint research, we will be able to predict and evaluate tire behaviour from the molecular scale of rubber, which will lead to innovation and efficiency in material development,” concluded Bridgestone.