ExxonMobil Chemical to License Tire Inner Liner Technology from Yokohama
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.
Other news from the department business & finance
