ExxonMobil Chemical announced on August 27 the start-up of a manufacturing facility at its existing site in Pensacola, Fla., that provides new capacity for the production of a revolutionary new tire material technology that can improve vehicle fuel efficiency.
"Tire inner liners made with the new material, Exxcore dynamically vulcanized alloy (DVA), achieve leading-edge air retention with less material. This reduces air loss between fillings and helps conserve energy and resources for future generations," said Art Sullivan, vice president, ExxonMobil Chemical Butyl Polymers Business.
Specifically, Exxcore DVA enables better fuel economy from significantly improved tire inflation pressure retention (IPR). IPR is a measure of tire air pressure loss over time. Improved air retention means reduced rolling resistance, resulting in improved fuel economy.
If all vehicle tires on the road in the U.S. had an IPR of 1.5%, it would represent a significant potential annual fuel savings of over 700 million gallons and a reduction in greenhouse gases of over 6 million tons per year, equivalent to taking over a million cars off the road.
In addition, tire durability testing shows an improvement greater than 50% over standard halobutyl inner liners, according to a company statement.
