Hankook Tire has commercialized the ‘iON’, the first tire designed exclusively for electric vehicles, utilizing chemically recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) fibers through collaboration with SK Chemicals and Hyosung Advanced Materials.
Prior to this, there were cases of concept tires and prototypes using chemically recycled PET-based tire cords, but the commercialization of a complete tire product in the domestic market marks a first.
Through over two years of collaborative research and development, Hankook Tire successfully developed the ‘iON’, a premium electric vehicle tire incorporating 45% sustainable materials including chemically recycled PET fiber tire cords, bio-circular-bio-circular polymers, and bio-based silica.
This product is notable as it bears the ‘ISCC PLUS’ certification logo, the first of its kind in the global tire industry for eco-friendly materials, and has recently passed stringent reliability verification from European automobile manufacturers, set to be fitted on new vehicles.
This tire development is significant as it demonstrates the united efforts of chemical suppliers, material processing fabric companies, and manufacturers, all focused on sustainability. Particularly, tire cords are essential materials that enhance the durability, performance, and comfort of the tires. Electric vehicles require lightweight and durable high-strength tire cord materials to support their weight, which exceeds 400 kg due to the batteries.
SK Chemicals will provide the circular recycling PET ‘SKYPET CR’ steadily, while Hyosung Advanced Materials has developed high-strength recycled polyester yarn tire cords using it as a raw material. This tire cord is now featured in Hankook Tire’s premium electric vehicle tire ‘iON’.
Compared to the physical recycling method of washing waste plastics and cutting them into flakes, the ‘SKYPET CR’ developed by SK Chemicals maintains high-quality properties and safety even when recycled infinitely. With Hyosung Advanced Materials being a global leader in PET tire cord market share, actively pushing for the expansion of recycled materials, and Hankook Tire having obtained ‘ISCC PLUS’ certification in 2021 while enhancing efforts for carbon emission reduction and resource depletion prevention, the combined expertise and determination of these three leading domestic companies resulted in this product achievement.
Gu Bon-hui, Vice President of Research and Development Innovation at Hankook Tire, stated, “Hankook Tire is conducting ongoing research and development to use 100% sustainable materials in all tires by 2050” and added, “We plan to lead sustainable management in the global tire industry by expanding the application of eco-friendly materials, particularly focusing on the electric vehicle tire ‘iON’.”
Lee Tae-jung, Executive Director of Tire Reinforcement Materials at Hyosung Advanced Materials, commented, “Recent increased societal interest in sustainability is leading domestic and international automotive companies to implement more sustainable materials, and tire companies are also obtaining ISCC PLUS certifications. We will lead the eco-friendly product market through collaboration with domestic and international customer companies.”
Kim Hyun-seok, Head of Business Development Division at SK Chemicals, remarked, “This joint development is significant as it represents a collaborative effort towards constructing a circular economy from material production to intermediate product manufacturing and final product production, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing the sustainability of materials and products.” He also stated, “We will broaden the use of recycled materials and strengthen collaborations with various industries, including brand owners, to ensure continuous emergence of such cases.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr