Ahead of this year's Sustainability in Tires 2024, we spoke with Luciano Tadiello, Advanced Materials Researcher at Pirelli, to get a sneak peek of what we can expect from his presentation on 'Update on Lignin/Natural Rubber composite materials for high-performance tyres' Here's what he had to say…




Q1. Your topic will be “Update on Lignin/Natural Rubber composite materials for high-performance tires”, can you give us a snapshot of what delegates will hear? And why it is important for others in the industry to hear this message?

Lignin is a waste biomass from pulp and paper industry, as well as one of the most abundant biopolymer on earth. The combination of these two factors makes it the most intriguing material of the last 10 years for several large scale industrial applications, including tyre manufacturing. The difficulty of using lignin in elastomers stem from its hydrophilic nature and Pirelli overcame this issue by predispersing lignin in Natural Rubber latex, the nascent form of natural rubber. Lignin/NR is a great example of a unique material developed through a strong connection with Partner universities as well as specialty suppliers. During the presentation we'll go through the project first steps, the present achievements, and the future challenges

Q2. In the sustainable context, what do you think are the key challenges facing material innovation and tire performance?

The definition of the KPI for rubber compounds as predictors of the tyre performance are of paramount importance. Pirelli guidelines for materials and product development are unified into the Eco and Safety Design approach, guiding the product evolution towards new materials and compounds keeping the best standards for driver safety and considering eco-toxicity and environmental concern in anticipation with respect to the regulator.

Q3. What industry topics are getting the most attention in the tire industry currently? How are these factors influencing the future of the tire value chain?

The recent attention towards the use of renewable and recycled materials is what we consider a motivator for innovation. NR/lignin was developed in view of an industrial application since the beginning of the pioneering research activity in 2012, to ensure an impact on the value chain, from the generation of an innovative solution to the tyre performance as proposal for the customer

Q4. What are you most looking forward to at Sustainability in Tires 2024?

To connect with the industry experts, and to inspire ideas and seek collaboration in a wider area than our current playground. The NR/lignin project has already reached a first tyre application in the replacement market and the deployment on a wider range of applications require new ideas and different approaches.