Early Tires: Long ago, tires were made from materials like wood and iron. The first hollow wheel was invented by the British Robert Thomson in 1845, who proposed using compressed air to fill elastic bladders to cushion vibrations and impacts during movement. Although the tires at that time were made of leather and coated canvas, they already demonstrated the advantage of low rolling resistance.
Inflatable Tires: Based on this principle, in 1888, John Dunlop created the rubber hollow tire, followed by Thomas who manufactured rubber hollow tires with valve switches. Unfortunately, these could not maintain a certain cross-sectional shape and width because the inner layer lacked canvas.
Automobile Tires: With the advent of automobiles in 1895, inflatable tires saw widespread development. The first samples of automobile tires appeared in France in 1895, made from plain woven canvas as a single-tube tire, featuring a tread rubber but no patterns. It wasn't until between 1908 and 1912 that tires underwent significant changes, with the introduction of tread patterns that improved performance, thus marking the beginning of the history of tire tread patterns and increasing the tire's cross-sectional width, allowing for lower internal pressure to ensure better cushioning performance.
Tires with Reinforcing Materials: In 1892, the British company Birminghams invented fabric, which was used in production in 1910. This achievement not only improved tire quality and expanded tire varieties but also made it possible to mold outer tires. As the demand for tire quality increased, the quality of the fabric also improved, with cotton fabric being replaced by rayon. By the late 1950s, rayon was replaced by nylon and polyester cord lines, which had better strength and heat resistance, and steel cord lines became highly competitive with the development of radial tires.
Carbon Black Reinforced Rubber Tires: In 1904, Matte created carbon black reinforced rubber, which was used on a large scale to reinforce tread rubber after the adoption of fabric in tires. Before this, canvas wore out faster than the tread during use. The amount of carbon black in rubber materials increased rapidly; in the 1930s, about 20 parts of carbon black were used per 100 parts of raw rubber, mainly in the tread, while the tire body did not use it. Now, it has exceeded 50 parts. Before the incorporation of carbon black in the tread, tires would wear out after about 6000 km, but after adding carbon black, the mileage significantly improved. Now, a set of truck tires can travel about 100,000 km, and on good roads, it can even reach 200,000 km.
Industrial Production of Tires
Advancements in Tire Technology in the Early 20th Century
With the development of the automotive industry, tire technology has continuously improved and advanced, such as:
● From the early 1920s to the mid-1930s, passenger car tires transitioned from low-pressure tires to ultra-low-pressure tires;
● In the 1940s, tires gradually transitioned to wider rims;
● The emergence of tubeless tires in the late 1940s;
● The introduction of low-profile tires in the late 1950s.
Development of Radial Tires
● In 1913, two British men, Gray and Sloper, invented the radial tire and obtained the patent rights. However, due to the limitations of equipment and reinforcing materials at that time, it was difficult to develop.
● In June 1946, Michelin obtained the patent for all-steel radial tires from the French patent office, and in 1948, Michelin was the first to produce radial tires in France. These tires were hailed as a revolution in the tire industry due to their significant improvements in lifespan and performance, particularly in fuel savings during driving.
● In 1955, the Italian company Pirelli developed semi-steel radial tires, where the tire body used rayon cord lines and the belt layer used steel cord lines.