Modern passenger vehicle tires dissipate between 20-30% of total vehicle energy through rolling resistance, directly impacting fuel economy and EV range. This energy loss occurs primarily through hysteresis in the rubber compounds, where repeated deformation cycles convert kinetic energy into heat. Current high-performance tires must manage this energy loss while maintaining critical safety parameters like wet grip and wear resistance.

The fundamental challenge lies in the inherent tradeoff between rolling resistance and traction performance, as both properties stem from the viscoelastic behavior of tire compounds.

This page brings together solutions from recent research—including multi-layer tread architectures, optimized carbon black-silica hybrid systems, and specialized rubber polymer compositions. These and other approaches demonstrate how materials engineering can reduce rolling resistance while preserving essential tire performance characteristics.

1. Strand Comprising Reinforcing Fiber Core with Elastomer Impregnation and Thermoplastic Resin Layer

MITSUBISHI GAS CHEMICAL COMPANY INC, 2025

Strand with improved slidability for use in applications like driving parts. The strand has a core made of reinforcing fibers impregnated with an elastomer, covered by a thermoplastic resin layer. The elastomer in the core provides flexibility and the thermoplastic layer enhances slidability. This allows the strand to slide smoothly without damage compared to bare fiber strands.

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2. Polydiene Rubbers with Alkoxy Silyl Functionalized Comonomer Units

ARLANXEO DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, 2025

Polydiene rubbers with improved properties for tire applications, made by polymerizing diene monomers with functionalized comonomers containing alkoxy silyl groups. The functionalized comonomers have repeating units derived from the functionalizing comonomer. The functionalized rubber polymers have better interactions with fillers and improved tire properties compared to non-functionalized diene polymers.

3. Rubber Composition with SBR and EPDM for Enhanced Wet Grip and Rolling Resistance

APOLLO TYRES GLOBAL R&D BV, 2025

Rubber composition for tire treads that provides improved wet grip and rolling resistance compared to conventional rubber compositions. The composition contains specific ratios of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), silica, and zinc oxide. The composition also has a specific styrene content in the SBR, vinyl content in the SBR, and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the SBR. Cross-linking the composition improves wet grip and maintains rolling resistance compared to cross-linking conventional rubber compositions.

4. Micronized Rubber Powder with Silane and Silica Activation for Enhanced Vulcanization and Dispersion

ATLANTIS RUBBER POWDERS BV, 2025

Upgrading micronized rubber powder (MRP) for large-scale reuse in tires by chemically activating the powder to improve performance. The activation involves treating the powder with silane during grinding to prevent sticking and using silica as a dusting agent. This functionalizes the powder surface to enhance vulcanization and dispersion in rubber compounds. The activation step involves contacting the powder with silane, silica, peroxides, or other activators. This allows using lower amounts of MRP in tire formulations compared to unactivated powder, which improves properties like tear strength, abrasion resistance, and dynamic performance.

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5. Bio-Based Lignin-Rubber Masterbatch with Esterified Lignin for Enhanced Rubber Compatibility

NANJING TECH UNIVERSITY, 2025

Fully bio-based, highly filled lignin-rubber masterbatch for replacing carbon black in rubber. The masterbatch is prepared by mixing modified lignin with rubber. The lignin is modified by esterification with acetic acid and oleic acid to improve compatibility with non-polar rubbers. The modified lignin has reduced hydroxyl group content compared to unmodified lignin. The esterification reaction provides hydrophobic groups to decrease lignin polarity. This improves lignin dispersibility in the rubber matrix.

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6. Additive Composition Comprising Fatty Acid and Polyamine Reaction Product for Silica-Filled Rubber Compounds

INGEVITY SOUTH CAROLINA LLC, 2025

Additive composition for improving properties of silica-filled rubber compounds in tires, such as fuel economy, traction, and wear resistance. The composition comprises a reaction product of fatty acid and polyamine. It is added to silica-filled rubber compounds, like tire treads, at low parts per hundred (phr) levels. The additive enhances silica dispersion and reduces payne effect, without affecting key rubber properties like viscosity, scorch, hardness, tensile strength, elongation, abrasion, and modulus. This enables improved tire performance, including lower rolling resistance, enhanced winter/dry traction, and better dry handling, without compromising other properties.

US2025109275A1-patent-drawing

7. Polysaccharide-Elastomer Masterbatch with Reduced Water Content via Coagulation and Drying Process

NUTRITION & BIOSCIENCES USA 4 INC, 2025

Polysaccharide-elastomer masterbatch for making reinforced rubber compositions with reduced water content. The masterbatch is made by mixing a polysaccharide dispersion with an elastomer latex and then coagulating and drying the mixture. This avoids adding water during masterbatch production, allowing lower water content in the final rubber compound. The polysaccharide provides reinforcement and reduces rolling resistance compared to carbon black. The masterbatch can be used in applications like tires, belts, footwear, coatings, etc.

US2025109259A1-patent-drawing

8. Silica-Filled Rubber Compound with Dipole-Enhanced Additive for Optimized Stiffness and Dispersion

BRIDGESTONE EUROPE NV/SA [BE/BE], 2025

Silica-filled rubber compound for tires with high stiffness and reduced rolling resistance. The compound contains a specific additive with a dipole moment over 2 Debye, polar groups at one end of a hydrophobic carbon chain, and crosslinks only at the other end. This additive enhances silica dispersion and stiffness without increasing hysteresis compared to traditional plasticizers. The compound has a balance of stiffness and rolling resistance exceeding 1.15 in E'/TanD ratio.

9. Dynamic Query Planning System Utilizing Large Language Model for Automated Function Selection in Search Query Execution

MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC, 2025

Dynamic query planning system that uses a large language model (LLM) to automatically select functions for executing a search query based on the user's input without requiring explicit facet selection. The LLM is configured with prompts to generate and output a query execution plan using functions from data resources. The prompts dynamically adjust based on context to optimize query planning. The LLM translates user query terms into functions to expand the query without user input. This reduces burden and improves relevance compared to LLM query enhancement.

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10. Tire Tread with Differential Rubber Composition Featuring Center Section with Lower Storage Modulus and Higher Glass Transition Temperature

THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO, 2025

Tire tread design that improves rolling resistance while maintaining wet grip and reducing maximum lateral force for vehicles like SUVs and vans. The tread has a center section with a different rubber composition compared to the shoulder sections. The center rubber has lower storage modulus at 1% strain and higher glass transition temperature compared to the shoulder rubber. This allows lower rolling resistance and improved wet grip without sacrificing maximum lateral force. The center rubber composition can contain a styrene/alpha-methylstyrene copolymer resin.

11. Rubber Composition with Polyisoprene and Functionalized SBR for Silica Coupling

THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER CO, 2025

Rubber composition for truck tires with improved rolling resistance and wet grip while maintaining wear resistance. The composition contains 70-95 phr of polyisoprene and 5-30 phr of a low Tg SBR functionalized for silica coupling. It also has 40-80 phr of predominantly silica filler. This combination provides a balance of wear, wet, and rolling resistance properties for reduced environmental impact and safety in truck tires.

12. Polymeric Compositions with Imine-Containing Hydrocarbyloxy Silane Functionalized Polydienes

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC, 2025

Polymeric compositions for tire rubber with improved properties like reduced hysteretic loss and payne effect, and reduced aging degradation. The compositions contain a specific amount (10-95 mole %) of functionalized polydienes made by reacting reactive polydienes with a terminating agent containing an imine-containing hydrocarbyloxy silane group. This functionalization provides benefits like reduced hysteretic loss and payne effect in the rubber. The compositions also have stabilized rheology and reduced aging compared to higher functionalization levels.

13. Polydiene Polymer Backbone Functionalization via Silylating Grafting Agents Synthesized from Siloxanes and Vinyl Compounds

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2025

Functionalizing polydiene polymers like styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) by modifying the backbone using silylating grafting agents. The grafting agents are synthesized by reacting siloxanes, compounds with a vinyl group and substituent, and a catalyst. The grafting agents are then used to hydrosilylate the polymer post-polymerization, incorporating multiple functional groups on the backbone. This improves properties like rolling resistance, wet traction, and filler interaction.

14. Cured Rubber Compositions with Silylated Polydiene Polymers Derived from Diene Monomers

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, 2025

Cured rubber compositions for tires with improved properties like filler dispersion, lower rolling resistance, and better snow traction. The compositions contain silylated polydiene polymers derived from diene monomers like styrene and butadiene. The silylation involves grafting a silylating agent with a functional group onto the diene polymer. The silylated polydiene polymer improves tire compound performance when cured.

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15. Tire with Differential Electrical Resistance Sidewall and Chafer Compositions

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, 2025

Tire design with reduced rolling resistance while maintaining electrical conductivity. The tire has specific sidewall and chafer rubber compositions with lower electrical resistance compared to the rest of the tire. This creates a voltage path from the rim to the ground through the sidewalls and chafers. The lower resistance sidewall/chafer rubber allows the tire to dissipate static charge to the environment. The rest of the tire components like tread, belt, and carcass have higher electrical resistance. This provides a balance between reduced rolling resistance from less carbon black in those areas and sufficient conductivity from the sidewalls/chafers.

US20250074116A1-patent-drawing

16. Rubber Composition with Terminal-Modified Liquid Polybutadiene for Enhanced Silica Dispersion in Tire Sidewalls

HANKOOK TIRE & TECH CO LTD, HANKOOK TIRE & TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2024

Rubber composition for tire sidewalls that improves rigidity, low rolling resistance, and crack resistance. The composition contains natural rubber, polybutadiene rubber, silica, carbon black, and a specific type of terminal-modified liquid polybutadiene rubber. The terminal-modified liquid polybutadiene improves dispersion and bonding of the silica filler, enhancing rigidity and crack resistance without sacrificing low rolling resistance. The composition balances performance by optimizing the ratios of natural rubber, polybutadiene, silica, carbon black, and terminal-modified liquid polybutadiene.

17. Tread Rubber Composition with 2,5-Diethoxyterephthaloyl Hydrazide for Enhanced Dispersion and Reduced Hysteresis

Zhongce Rubber Group Co., Ltd., 2024

Low heat-generating tread rubber composition for tires that reduces tire temperature during rolling to improve tire durability and extend tire life. The composition contains specific additives like 2,5-diethoxyterephthaloyl hydrazide that modify the rubber and filler to improve dispersion and reduce sliding. The additives react with rubber chain ends, filler surfaces, and silica to enhance bonding, reduce hysteresis loss, and mitigate the Payne effect. This reduces heat generation compared to using just white carbon black instead of regular carbon black. The composition can be made using a mixing method involving specific steps to incorporate the additives.

18. Rubber Composition with High Surface Area Silica and Plasticizer Ratio for Tire Treads

HANKOOK TIRE & TECH CO LTD, HANKOOK TIRE & TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2024

A rubber composition for tire treads that minimizes trade-offs between wet road braking performance, wear resistance, and fuel efficiency. The composition contains a reinforcing filler like silica, along with a specific ratio of a high surface area silica and a plasticizer. This balance of filler and plasticizer improves both wet road braking and wear resistance without sacrificing fuel efficiency compared to conventional tire tread rubber compositions.

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19. Rubber Composition with High Surface Area Silica and Microsilica for Tire Treads

CIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, 2023

Rubber composition for tire treads that provides improved wet grip and rolling resistance compared to conventional tire rubber compositions. The composition contains a diene elastomer, a high surface area silica (Tl > 100 m2/g) as the main reinforcing filler, a microsilica (T2 < 50 m2/g) as a secondary filler, a silane coupling agent, and a crosslinking system. The microsilica in addition to the high surface area silica enhances wet grip and reduces rolling resistance compared to using just the high surface area silica.

20. Pneumatic Tire with Multi-Layered Tread Structure Incorporating Carbon Black Formulation

HANGZHOU HAICHAO RUBBER CO LTD, ZHONGCE RUBBER GROUP CO LTD, 2023

Pneumatic tire that can improve the performance of the tire and reduces the investment of equipment. The tire is formed with a tread layer and shoulder rubber, wherein the shoulder rubber is arranged on two sides of the tread layer and the tread layer comprises an upper tread rubber, a lower tread rubber and a base rubber; the upper tread rubber is responsible for the tread performance such as abrasion, wet land braking, control and the like and controls rolling resistance and control, and the lower layer tread adopts a carbon black formula or a carbon black white carbon black combined formula to provide lower rolling resistance and higher modulus to achieve the high control and low rolling resistance performances of the tire.

CN117162706A-patent-drawing

21. Car Tire Tread Rubber Composition with Dual Styrene-Butadiene Rubbers, Resin-Reinforced Rubber, and Varied Surface Area Silica

22. Rubber Composition with Silica and Dual Butadiene Rubber Catalysts for Tire Tread

23. Five-Component Dual-Layer Tire Tread Rubber with Crosslinked Interfaces

24. Rubber Composition with Tin-Modified Polybutadiene and Amino Group-Containing Compound

25. Rubber Composition with Silica-Enhanced Phase Distribution for Vulcanized Tire Applications

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