ExxonMobil Chemical to License Tire Inner Liner Technology from Yokohama

01-Jun-2004

ExxonMobil Chemical Company announced that it has reached an agreement to license from the Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., technology associated with the Yokohama Advanced Liner (YAL), a new patented inner liner for automotive tires. The agreement also grants ExxonMobil Chemical rights to commercialize and globally market YAL- related materials in the future.

ExxonMobil Chemical and Yokohama are combining their respective strengths in the field to improve and advance the performance of YAL. YAL, a new technology originally developed by Yokohama and further improved through a joint cooperative effort with ExxonMobil Chemical, combines the flexibility and elasticity of a rubber with the low-air permeability of a plastic.

A tire inner liner is a layer affixed to the inside of a tire to prevent air leakage. Using current technology, an inner liner may account for up to 10 percent of the total weight of a tire. Halogenated butyl rubber (halobutyl rubber) is the most frequent material of choice. ExxonMobil Chemical is a major supplier of halobutyl rubber to the global tire industry.

YAL's outstanding impermeability enables the inner liner to be an exceptionally thin film, yielding a significant reduction in the total weight. Additional benefits important to today's market such as reduced energy consumption and natural resource conservation may also be realized.

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