Tire Flatproofing Technology for a Cleaner, Friendlier Planet
Recently featured in Access International Magazine.
Tires are an integral part of moving industry, and our economy, forward – and they’re absolutely fundamental to a functioning international infrastructure. Global transportation, of course, wouldn’t be possible without them, nor would the operation of Off-the-Road (OTR) heavy equipment vehicles that facilitate construction, agribusiness, and other essential avenues of commercial development. But discarded tires, unfortunately, take a heavy toll on the health of our Planet – and that’s why Carlisle has been committed to engineering polyurethane tire fill products that are environmentally supportive.
Each year, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), an estimated one billion tire carcasses are discarded internationally – clogging landfills around the globe and creating an environmental pollutant that can last for generations. The U.S. alone generates more than 290 million tires annually, and this “tire trash” is only added to the stockpiles already in our global landfills. Not only are thrown out tires non bio-degradable, but they are widely considered to be one of most toxic and problematic sources of waste due to the alarming levels of fossil fuels and other raw materials used in their production.
In the tire afterlife, the need for additional landfill square footage to accommodate tire waste can promote mosquito infestation, which, in turn, breeds vector-borne disease. Moreover, solid tire waste is also highly flammable and at risk of fire danger, which can take days, weeks, months or even years to extinguish. According to the EPA, “tire fires often become major hazardous incidents affecting entire communities—frequently requiring neighborhood evacuations and long, drawn-out fire extinguishing operations. These fires threaten pollution of the air, soil, and water.” The EPA further notes that “states, municipalities, and private companies have spent millions of dollars cleaning up tire fires across the country.” Unfortunately, using water or foam often are futile in trying to extinguish the fires.
Essentially, this issue is a major negative side effect of tire waste. And, to this end, tire manufacturers, distributors and the retail channel are continually searching for answers to identify an environmentally sound way of disposing scrap tires and creating a sustainable use of natural resources in tire production.
Carlisle TyrFil has made it our mission to develop innovative, cost-effective flatproofing tire solutions to the industrial and OTR equipment marketplace that serve the transportation needs of our rapidly evolving global economy, while also simultaneously reducing the environmental, health and economical effects of tire operations and scrap tire disposal.
Our branded TyrFil™ flatproofing technology offers a patented polyurethane tire filling solution (commonly referred to as foam fill) that leads the industry.
TyrFil™ can be easily pumped into any pneumatic tire to replace air with a resilient, synthetic elastomer core that virtually eliminates flats, to ensure a smoother ride for operators and vastly reduce tire wear, tear and denigration. On the sustainable front, TyrFil™ flatproofing helps to drastically ease environmental strain by helping to keep whole tire and scrap tire waste – and the unwanted emissions and carbon footprint they create – out of domestic and international landfills.
One such example is our TyrFil™ EcoFil line. Specially engineered, this water-based formula utilizes water in lieu of an oil foundation to successfully flatproof tires. Because water is readily available and abundant, TyrFil™ EcoFil (available in two different formulations – TyrFil™ EcoFlex with a 15 Shore-A durometer and TyrFil™ EcoFil with a 28 Shore-A durometer) is low-cost, environmentally friendly and safe to use. TyrFil™ EcoFil differs from standard oil-based flatproofing material in that it is made from a proprietary blend of renewable resources making it a more environmentally responsible product. It also has a 50% reduced dependency on aromatic oils, is 100% virgin polymer, and utilizes zero fillers.
To learn more about TyrFil™ EcoFil and the advantages of Carlisle Recycling Technology, please check out this recent feature article about Carlisle’s sustainable offerings in the global publication Access International. Visit www.khl.com/magazines/access-international.com for additional Access Industry information and news.
The positive impacts of the TyrFil™ flatproofing line, highlighted by our water-based TyrFil™ EcoFil solutions, prove that innovation and sustainability can coexist and become a competitive advantage. Our Carlisle Technology Team remains committed to advancing our pledge to the industry—and to the many communities and businesses we serve around the world—to continue to develop and bring to market high-performing, sustainable tire fill solutions.
Carlisle TyrFil
