On the occasion of ULTRASIL's 70th anniversary, Evonik is inviting customers and partners to a digital journey both back in time and into the future: The anniversary website demonstrates how - following the decisive breakthrough in the production of precipitated silica - a filler brand was created that has become irreplaceable in many rubber goods, has put modern sports shoes on track, and has set milestones in the development of high-performance tires. An outlook reveals how ULTRASIL can continue to make an important contribution to sustainable mobility in the future.
Invention of 'white
Since the 1940s, research had been conducted on silica as a substitute for
From 1953 on, the product was sold as ULTRASIL VN 3, quickly becoming a substitute for filler
Revolutionary impact on tire performance
In the 1970s, ULTRASIL revolutionized tire production in tandem with silanes as a coupling agent. Silanes enable hydrophilic silica to be chemically coupled to the rubber polymer. Evonik's Silica/Silane system is the benchmark for passenger car tire tread performance, particularly when it comes to improving the wet traction behavior and reducing the rolling resistance. Using silica as a filler in place of
Even today, Evonik is the only chemical company in the world that manufactures both silica and silanes, which are still the key ingredients for sustainable 'green tires', and which has the required research expertise to continue developing these products so that they are ideally matched to each other.
Further sites opened and capacities increased
Over the last 70 years, the ULTRASIL family has grown continuously. Under this brand name, Evonik offers a large portfolio of highly dispersible silica with high and low surface areas that are customized for a broad spectrum of applications.
ULTRASIL is highly valued by the tire industry for use in the production of high-performance tires. It also serves as a reinforcing filler for industrial rubber goods that require enhanced performance, such as timing or conveyor belts and seals, as well as for everyday items such as shoe soles and bicycle tires.
ULTRASIL is currently produced in 10 sites on three continents - providing a global production platform combined with regional customer proximity. Wesseling, where Dr.
During this period, the silica specialists have developed further innovative ULTRASIL grades which are tailored to the technological progress and future challenges in the tire and rubber industries.
The latest product development is ULTRASIL 4000 GR, the first low surface area silica (LSA silica) with high dispersibility. The unique product design enables very high filling levels, which allow the production of winter tires that have even better traction in wet, muddy and snowy conditions, for example.
For the challenges of the future
'The silica filler loading will continue to increase. In
Tires with a low rolling resistance will become even more important in the future of sustainable mobility, as they can help extend the range of electric cars. 'A combination of ULTRASIL active filler and the Si 363 silane can reduce the rolling resistance by up to 35 percent and significantly improve wet grip, all while retaining the same good wear values', says
Sustainability plays an important role in Evonik's future developments. One target is to improve the abrasion resistance of tires, which helps extend their life and saves valuable resources. In addition to this, alternative and sustainable raw materials, combined with green energy sources are under evaluation at Evonik with the intent of further reducing the
The potential of ULTRASIL is therefore far from being exhausted. Evonik's silica business line is already researching further innovative silica/silane products for the next milestones in tire development - all in the spirit of our claim 'We will keep our customers running with our products. Whatever it takes.'
COMPANY INFORMATION
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of
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