5. What we create
Embedding sustainability in tires
The automotive and associated tire industry are currently going through a major sustainability-related transformation. The goals are clear: net zero and full material circularity by 2050. Teijin Aramid shares this ambition as part of our true purpose.
Tires play a key role in achieving these goals. Up to 90% of tires’ environmental impact is in the use phase, through fuel consumption and associated exhaust gases. This is why the European Union (EU) has set regulatory measures for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to limit emissions in the use phase of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Avoiding use phase emissions is about efficiency, about tires that decrease fuel consumption in ICEs and increase battery mileage in electric vehicles. This is where Twaron® excels.
Twaron®: Better eco-performance over the entire lifecycle
Using Twaron® in tires leads to a long-lasting, durable and lighter tire with a similar or increased performance. Lighter tires are more efficient, as weight is directly connected to fuel use. Less fuel consumption results in lower carbon emissions per kilometer, helping to comply with EU regulations and show better sustainability performances in general which is beneficial for the tire business. A lower carbon footprint without a compromise in quality is possible today.
To quantify these benefits, Teijin Aramid built a user-friendly model based on our TÜV certified Customer Benefit Model (CBM) methodology (which follows ISO 14040 and 14044 standards).
Our customers in the tire industry use it to compare Twaron®-based solutions to the standard rayon, polyester or steel reinforcement. Comparisons include data around costs and environmental emissions in both the raw material and use phases, and consider things like lifetime and fuel efficiency. Findings differ by case but general results for Twaron® in tires are:
- Higher initial price of raw materials
- Lower tire weight with the same performance
- Less fuel use and less direct CO2 emissions per kilometer
- The model shows lower emissions and lower costs over the lifecycle of the tire despite initial investment
- In the case of emission penalties, additional savings apply to customers.
Collaboration for a circular economy in the tire industry
We started mechanically recycling production leftovers of aramid-based tire cords containing Twaron®, and now we’re going further.
Physical and chemical recycling technologies are being developed to further increase the recycling potential of aramid yarn. And we’re heavily focused on addressing the recyclability of aramids from end-of-life tire textiles.
Calling all stakeholders …
In line with our core value of unity, Teijin Aramid has called on all stakeholders in the tire value chain to collaborate closely in order to find optimal solutions for recycling end-of-life tire textiles. This effort will help the environment and secure the future of the tire industry.
Partnering for true purpose
Teijin Aramid and personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturer LION have partnered to collect and recycle retired wildland and station firefighter PPE. Together, we aim to keep these materials out of landfills and repurpose them for new applications, such as helmet ear covers. LION and Teijin Aramid will work closely together to establish collection sites utilizing LION TotalCare and recycling processes that make it easy for firefighters and other first responders to send in their retired uniforms and PPE.
Using these recycled materials to produce new products helps to conserve resources and reduces the need for virgin materials, a significant step towards sustainability and a circular economy. This supports Teijin Aramid’s efforts to align our business purpose to benefit people and the planet.
Teijin Aramid and LION are committed to working together to make this program a success.
Green hydrogen matters
Teijin Aramid is exploring the use of green hydrogen to enable the energy transition. We believe that hydrogen extracted from water by electro-chemical processes, powered entirely by renewable resources, will be a cornerstone of our future global energy system.
Hydrogen can be produced from water and returns to water after use, without greenhouse gas emissions and is therefore considered to be a clean energy carrier. It’s a crucial step towards reducing emissions to net zero. As well as its use as an energy carrier, hydrogen is widely used as a building block to produce a variety of products in daily use. This hydrogen is currently produced using fossil fuels and needs to be replaced by clean hydrogen.
As well as its use as an energy carrier, hydrogen is widely used as a building block to produce a variety of products in daily use. This hydrogen is currently produced using fossil fuels and needs to be replaced by clean hydrogen.
Sustainable materials for green hydrogen
Teijin Aramid is intent on creating high-performance materials that are suitable for producing, storing, distributing and using hydrogen safely and efficiently. One challenge is the production of green hydrogen by water electrolysis in large-scale electrolyzer plants, specifically the material performance of the membranes used in the electrolytic stacks. This is why we are developing future-fit membrane materials that can be applied in electrolyzers to produce hydrogen, and in fuel cells to convert hydrogen back to electricity.
These membrane materials are exposed to harsh conditions in the electro-chemical environment during operation and need sufficient mechanical and thermal stability. At the same time, high proton conductivity properties are required to boost efficiency in use and further reduce the cost of green hydrogen production.
Our ambition goes beyond excellent material characteristics. We believe materials like these are essential to drive the energy transition.
