Plastics & Rubber
Nitrogen for Tire CuringIn tire production, tire curing can use nitrogen instead of steam to inflate the tire bladder in the tire mold.
Gaining Traction in the Tire Industry
Tire curing is the process of applying pressure to a tire in a mold to give it its final shape. The uncured tire, also referred to as a “green tire”, requires pressure to be applied to stimulate the chemical reaction between the rubber compounds. Steam is commonly used, but there are issues with heat concentration, pressure control and operating costs. Nitrogen can be used to provide more stable pressure, increased uniformity, balance and quality. Overall, the tire curing process formulation is specific to pressure, temperature and time.
The use of Nitrogen provides significant benefits over steam use.
- Better Temperature/Pressure Control: Steam systems are more difficult to control. Nitrogen al-lows for individually controlled curing temperature and pressure resulting in better quality and lower scrap rates
- Cycle Time Improvement: Cooler temperatures allow for quicker turnaround
- Elimination of hot water system: Hot water systems are used in steam processes. They can be expensive and require extensive maintenance leading to operational down time
- Increased Bladder Life: Nitrogen is inert and eliminates high levels of oxygen and other contaminants that may affect bladder integrity
- Cleaner Option: Using steam requires a wastewater removal process and/or chemical disposal. Using nitrogen eliminated the need and provides you with a cleaner option
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