Vegetarian radials? Defatted soy eyed as tire filler substitute (Green Tires?)

www.autoblog.com ^ | 01-06-2009 | by Jeremy Korzeniewski

[Red Badger]

There's more that one way to green a car, and many of the most interesting technological advancements don't involve powering an internal combustion engine. Consider that much of the fabric, plastic and rubber that goes into a car's construction is derived from petroleum, and you see why alternatives are becoming increasingly attractive. Automakers have taken up corn-based plastics and soy-based seat foam, and now the latest greenery comes by way of defatted soy flour. The latter is an organic substance that's being considered as a replacement for the petroleum-based "carbon black" rubber particles that are currently specified in the vast majority of tires.

The technology has a long way to go before we could be driving on soybeans, and there are likely issues involving using a possible feedstock as a petroleum replacement (again) that will need to be worked out. Still, as pressure builds to abandon the use of petroleum in as many ways as possible, advancements are likely to become a bigger part of our day-to-day transportation needs.

[Source: DairyHerd.com]

[Red Badger]

Where the rubber meets the rowed..............

[Army Air Corps]

Now, if they were edible...

[absolootezer0]

somehow i think the tires i like would irritate tree huggers even if they were "green"

[Cyclone59]

Bet they would taste the same as bean curd.

[Abathar]

I work in that industry, it will never happen. Carbon black works and it has nothing to do with being “green” or not, the stuff is just carbon anyway and it’s dirt cheap.

[Army Air Corps]

Where the tofu meets the road.

[ryan71]

Buy Jiffy Lube stock. Every 4k miles we change oil, we'll also have to change our tires.

[libh8er]

They learned nothing from the corn/ethanol debacle. But then liberals are not interested in facts.

[Deaf Smith]

A good burnout just wouldn't smell the same.

[Red Badger]

[Red Badger]

It’d smell like a burnt burrito..............

[Proud2BeRight]

And if rodents like soy......?

[Beagle8U]

“A good burnout just wouldn't smell the same.”

Only the gang-green hippies will buy the tofu tires anyway. Will a Toyota Pious even do a burnout? I think not.

The only burnouts will be the drivers!

[Red Badger]

Carbon Black causes cancer in California........So they ban all products with carbon black......Since they are the largest market for tires, then everybody else will get soy tires, too..........Instead of Mickey Thompson Slick 60’s we’ll get Mickey Mouse Silk Soy tires..........

[Nick Danger]

I have high hopes for this stuff. Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant

[Red Badger]

I assume all rodent do like soy, especially squirrels........

[Abathar]

It doesn’t matter, pretty soon they will finally get the right compound and go with urethane over rubber anyway. More money, but much longer life and less disposal which is what the greenies are really concerned with.

[Red Badger]

They learned nothing from the corn/ethanol debacle. But then liberals are not interested in facts.

For liberals, history started at breakfast this morning............

[absolootezer0]

Will a Toyota Pious even do a burnout? I think not.

my gas guzzling SUV won't do a burnout either. stupid mud tires and having too much traction.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Bet they would taste the same as bean curd.

This is DEFATTED soy, so it would taste the same as bean curd but without the flavor.