The new Euro 7 standard introduces limit values for tire abrasion for the first time, which poses challenges for the tire industry. In the “TERIS” project, four Fraunhofer Institutes under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF want to provide new methods that are necessary for the development of more environmentally friendly tire materials. A pioneering technology platform for the standardized generation and analysis of rubber abrasion in the laboratory will use AI-supported sensor technology to predict particle distributions and reveal their effects on the environment. The results are intended to provide new impetus for the entire tire industry supply chain and will also be incorporated into vehicle fleet simulations.
As part of the project “TERIS – Technology platform for tire abrasion and its emission identification in road traffic”, an innovative abrasion machine is being developed that makes it possible to generate realistic rubber abrasion under controlled laboratory conditions. This data is crucial for the development of more environmentally friendly tire materials and the performance of ecotoxicological assessments.
A key aspect of the project is the analysis of the degradation of the generated abrasion under realistic environmental conditions. New weathering techniques and chemical analyses are used to investigate the effects of wear on the environment. The knowledge gained is incorporated into vehicle fleet simulations and enables a more precise forecast of emissions.
Interdisciplinary Fraunhofer expertise boosts the tire industry
The interdisciplinary collaboration between the institutes Fraunhofer LBF (abrasion machine and weathering concepts), ICT (abrasion characterization and emission prediction), IGD (AI-supported optics) and IWM (models for friction structures, wear and particle emission) goes beyond existing research. In addition to the highly topical environmental issue of tire abrasion as a significant source of microplastics and particulate matter, an interdisciplinary offering is being created that covers the entire value chain from material development to ecotoxicological assessments and vehicle fleet simulations.
The project’s target markets are tire manufacturers, elastomer producers, automotive manufacturers and testing service providers.
The new Fraunhofer project “TERIS – Technology Platform for Tire Abrasion and its Emission Identification in Road Traffic” aims to give new impetus to the entire tire industry supply chain. Graphic: Fraunhofer