Butyl reclaim in innerliner applications

Reclaimed butyl rubber is an important compounding ingredient that is widely used in the tire industry. For innerliner applications halobutyl compounds are used for which partial replacement with butyl reclaim is possible. An increasing amount of butyl reclaim results in a lower air permeability enabling the manufacturer to reduce the thickness of the innerliner. Aging resistance of the compound is also improved; in particular the flex fatigue life after aging is increased considerably. The most significant processing improvement is better air venting during tire construction and curing. The results of a thorough investigation of increased butyl reclaim loading on the overall properties of various butyl compounds and halobutyl compounds will be discussed.