A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which the wheel travels. Most tires, such as those for automobiles and bicycles, are pneumatically inflated structures, which also provide a flexible cushion that absorbs shock as the tire rolls over rough features on the surface. Tires provide a footprint, called a contact patch, that is designed to match the weight of the vehicle with the bearing strength of the surface that it rolls over by providing a bearing pressure that will not deform the surface excessively.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturer headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tires for passenger vehicles, aviation, commercial trucks, military and police vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, race cars, and heavy off-road machinery. It also licenses the Goodyear brand to bicycle tires manufacturers, returning from a break in production between 1976 and 2015. As of 2017, Goodyear is one of the top five tire manufacturers along with Bridgestone (Japan), Michelin (France), Continental (Germany) and MRF (India).
A self-sealing fuel tank is a type of fuel tank, typically used in aircraft fuel tanks or fuel bladders, that prevents them from leaking fuel and igniting after being damaged.
The Tire Society is a non-profit professional body, specifically an engineering society, whose mission is to increase and disseminate knowledge as it pertains to the science and technology of tires. It hosts a two-day meeting and conference every year. In addition, it publishes a peer reviewed technical journal, Tire Science and Technology.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to tires:
The Charles Goodyear Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society, Rubber Division. Established in 1941, the award is named after Charles Goodyear, the discoverer of vulcanization, and consists of a gold medal, a framed certificate and prize money. The medal honors individuals for "outstanding invention, innovation, or development which has resulted in a significant change or contribution to the nature of the rubber industry". Awardees give a lecture at an ACS Rubber Division meeting, and publish a review of their work in the society's scientific journal Rubber Chemistry and Technology.
The Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award is a professional award conferred by the American Chemical Society, Rubber Division. Established in 1983, the award is named after Melvin Mooney, developer of the Mooney viscometer and of the Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic law. The award consists of an engraved plaque and prize money. The medal honors individuals "who have exhibited exceptional technical competency by making significant and repeated contributions to rubber science and technology".
Ray Putnam Dinsmore was a rubber scientist, known for pioneering the use of rayon as a reinforcing material in auto tires. In 1928, Dinsmore patented the first water-emulsion synthetic rubber in the United States. The material later became a staple of the rubber industry during the World War II shortage of natural rubber. Dinsmore worked for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and developed Chemigum, an early synthetic rubber. Dinsmore hired noted rubber physicist Samuel D. Gehman. Dinsmore served as chairman of the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society in 1927. He received the 1947 Colwyn medal and was named the 1955 Charles Goodyear Medalist.
Rubber Chemistry and Technology is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering fundamental research and technical developments relating to chemistry, materials science, and engineering of rubber, elastomers, and related materials. It was established in 1928, with Carroll C. Davis as its first editor-in-chief. The current editor-in-chief is Christopher G. Robertson. The journal is published by the American Chemical Society's Rubber Division. The journal currently publishes four issues per year containing original research contributions and review articles.
Dr. Karl Alfred Grosch (1923-2012) was a rubber industry scientist noted for his contributions to understanding tire friction and abrasion. Dr. Grosch is the developer of the LAT 100 Abrasion tester that is used widely in the tire industry to evaluate the friction and wear properties of rubber compounds.
Joseph A. Kuczkowski is a Goodyear scientist, noted for successfully explaining the mechanisms of antioxidant and antiozonant function, and for commercial development of new antiozonant systems and improvement of the stability of polymeric materials.
Adel F. Halasa is an American scientist noted for his contributions to the development of rubber, particularly in the area of tire tread polymers for the Goodyear AquaTred tire. In 1997, he won the Charles Goodyear Medal, bestowed by the American Chemical Society, Rubber Division to individuals who "have been the principal inventor(s), innovator(s), or developer(s) of a significant change or contribution to the rubber industry".
The purpose of the Sparks–Thomas Award, given by the American Chemical Society, Rubber Division, is to recognize and encourage outstanding contributions and innovations in the field of elastomers by younger scientists, technologists, and engineers. The award is named for Exxon scientists William J. Sparks and Robert M. Thomas, co-inventors of Butyl rubber.
The U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), established in 1915 as the Rubber Club of America, is a national trade and advocacy group of U.S. rubber tire manufacturers. The Rubber Manufacturers Association formed the Tire Industry Safety Council trade association in the United States in May 1969, which is based in Washington, D.C.
RMA represents its members before federal, state and local government entities; develops safety standards for passenger, light truck and commercial truck tires; advocates for environmentally and economically sound scrap tire management policies aggregates data pertaining to U.S. tire shipments; and, educates consumers about proper tire care, among other activities.
Paul W. Litchfield was an American inventor, industrialist, and author. He served as President, Chairman, and the first CEO of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and the founder of the town of Litchfield Park, Arizona and the city of Goodyear, Arizona. Among his many accomplishments as chairman was the establishment of a research and development department that produced the first practical airplane tire, long-haul conveyor belts, hydraulic disc brakes for airplanes, the first pneumatic truck tire, and a bullet-sealing fuel tank for military airplanes. Litchfield was also the author of books on air power, trucks, employee relations, and business.
Sulfur vulcanization is a chemical process for converting natural rubber or related polymers into materials of varying hardness, elasticity, and mechanical durability by heating them with sulfur or sulfur-containing compounds. Sulfur forms cross-linking bridges between sections of polymer chains which affects the mechanical and electronic properties. Many products are made with vulcanized rubber, including tires, shoe soles, hoses, and conveyor belts. The term vulcanization is derived from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
Nissim Calderon was a Goodyear executive and scientist, noted for his introduction of olefin metathesis in 1967. His work on olefin metathesis led to the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Steven M. Cron is a retired Michelin product research engineer and co-inventor of the Tweel.
Joginder Lal was a Goodyear Polymer Research Manager and expert in the synthesis and mechanism of the formation of high polymers.
David A. Benko is a retired Goodyear chemist and materials R&D director.
