Tire

A tire or tyre (<a href="/facts/Commonwealth_English/FfHnv1CT">Commonwealth English</a>) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a <a href="/facts/Rim_(wheel)/4phVJMoL">wheel's rim</a> to transfer a vehicle's load from the <a href="/facts/Axle/Eo5jWI3f">axle</a> through the wheel to the ground and to provide <a href="/facts/Traction_(engineering)/Aynjhy6n">traction</a> on the surface over which the wheel travels. Most tires, such as those for automobiles and bicycles, are <a href="/facts/Pneumatic/QzkvCCpk">pneumatically</a> inflated structures, providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock as the tire rolls over rough features on the surface. Tires provide a footprint, called a <a href="/facts/Contact_patch/8yvVaHAJ">contact patch</a>, designed to match the vehicle's weight and the bearing on the surface that it rolls over by exerting a pressure that will avoid deforming the surface.
The materials of modern pneumatic tires are <a href="/facts/Synthetic_rubber/58Fq4XYx">synthetic rubber</a>, <a href="/facts/Natural_rubber/CbsjJxhY">natural rubber</a>, fabric, and wire, along with <a href="/facts/Carbon_black/xmPdCHFp">carbon black</a> and other chemical compounds. They consist of a <a href="/facts/Tire_tread/3zv6FN7M">tread</a> and a body. The tread provides <a href="/facts/Traction_(engineering)/Aynjhy6n">traction</a> while the body provides containment for a quantity of <a href="/facts/Compressed_air/KEjxE7DG">compressed air</a>. Before <a href="/facts/Rubber/CbsjJxhY">rubber</a> was developed, tires were metal bands fitted around wooden wheels to hold the wheel together under load and to prevent wear and tear. Early rubber tires were solid (not pneumatic). Pneumatic tires are used on many vehicles, including <a href="/facts/Car/cnhHaaHQ">cars</a>, <a href="/facts/Bicycle/nxBVrlBF">bicycles</a>, <a href="/facts/Motorcycle/owLPEqSr">motorcycles</a>, <a href="/facts/Bus/CuEPrMhW">buses</a>, <a href="/facts/Truck/9GMJWsQU">trucks</a>, <a href="/facts/Heavy_equipment_(construction)/e2uMkvnK">heavy equipment</a>, and <a href="/facts/Aircraft/EhC4mBep">aircraft</a>. Metal tires are used on <a href="/facts/Locomotive/C9YV7wrQ">locomotives</a> and <a href="/facts/Railcar/8WCtLGNc">railcars</a>, and solid rubber (or other polymers) tires are also used in various non-automotive applications, such as <a href="/facts/Caster/ptSYoJ7P">casters</a>, <a href="/facts/Cart/f1wRNE8W">carts</a>, <a href="/facts/Lawn_mower/sVtTfejM">lawnmowers</a>, and <a href="/facts/Wheelbarrow/YYzD1PdG">wheelbarrows</a>.
Unmaintained tires can lead to severe hazards for vehicles and people, ranging from <a href="/facts/Flat_tire/u0by2akz">flat tires</a> making the vehicle inoperable to <a href="/facts/Blowout_(tire)/lwnlhYvV">blowouts</a>, where tires explode during operation and possibly damage vehicles and injure people. The manufacture of tires is often highly regulated for this reason. Because of the widespread use of tires for motor vehicles, tire waste is a substantial portion of global waste. There is a need for <a href="/facts/Tire_recycling/hC3KpeWS">tire recycling</a> through mechanical recycling and reuse, such as for <a href="/facts/Crumb_rubber/V4JbDd6Y">crumb rubber</a> and other <a href="/facts/Tire-derived_aggregate/YrTeSo9M">tire-derived aggregate</a>, and <a href="/facts/Pyrolysis/h1cEegI7">pyrolysis</a> for chemical reuse, such as for <a href="/facts/Tire-derived_fuel/s5RQaz7S">tire-derived fuel</a>. If not recycled properly or <a href="/facts/Tire_fire/qdGWMLba">burned</a>, waste tires release toxic chemicals into the environment. Moreover, the regular use of tires produces <a href="/facts/Microplastics/HzH0eKP5">micro-plastic particles</a> that contain these chemicals that both enter the environment and affect human health.

Tire open-in-new

Tire