Goodyear, Amerityre Plan Urethane Tires
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Amerityre Corp. plan to develop an automotive tire made mostly from urethane, the compound used in skateboard wheels, which would reduce production costs and ease swings in supply.
Amerityre, based in Boulder City, Nev., already makes urethane foam tires for bicycles, garden tractors and wheelbarrows. It said it has made a chemical ingredient that could lead to commercial production of urethane tires for autos.
Raw materials, including rubber, represent about 50% of tire-making costs.
Tires currently are made with more than 50 types of chemicals and compounds, including carbon black, steel, nylon and natural and synthetic rubber, said Dave Russ, spokesman for Goodyear, the largest North American tire maker. A urethane tire would contain only urethane, he said, and could be made in different colors.
Shares of Goodyear, based in Akron, Ohio, fell 84 cents to $23.87 on the NYSE. Amerityre rose 61 cents to $4.56 in over-the-counter trading.
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