Why is a motorbike tire black and not another color?

The tire has a rubber component, but the rubber is white and the tires are black. Why is that?

In the early days, tires were made from pure rubber, so they were white. However, pure rubber has the disadvantage of being fast worn because it cannot withstand large friction, it is easy to be hardened and cracked, causing many troubles and discomfort for car owners.

It was not until 1915 that a substance was found to help tires resist abrasion to increase the life of tires 4-5 times. This type of carbon black powder is mixed with rubber and accounts for about 30% of tire volume.

Colorful tires were produced in the 1950s. (Photo: boingboing.net).

In 1950, black tires also had other colors like orange, red, yellow . These tires quickly attracted the attention of users thanks to the eye-catching colors, but when used for a while These tires are stiff and discolored.

After studying and researching, the manufacturers found that colored tires are faster than black tires because colored rubber when combined with ozone-based compounds and infrared rays from the sun will appear. Chemical reactions distort the properties of tires. So after a while, colored tires quickly disappeared due to high prices but less durable than black tires.

Black tires have a longer lifespan and look stronger in terms of aesthetics.(Photo: Huynh Huy).

In the tire manufacturing industry, manufacturers also mix wax compounds, when the tire moves wax molecules moving to the surface, creating a protective layer between the air and the polymer surface of the tire, This process is called blooming . However, when parking for a long time in the sun, this process does not take place because there is no tire movement, ozone and infrared rays will attack the tire, causing the tire to quickly deteriorate.

Finally, today's tires are mostly black, the difference is in tire size, tire structure and tire pattern. In terms of aesthetics, black tires make the car look cleaner and harder to see. Some people who like to stand out on the road can repaint the outside of the tire, paint it into tires or paint the color on the letters on the tires. In essence, however, these are still black tires.

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