Dive Brief:

• A name oft-associated with the development of rubber as a widely used material now is planning to replace some rubber-based products with rice husk silica-based ones. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company recently OK’d a supply agreement with Yihai Food and Oil Industry, in China, for silica derived from rice husk ash.
• Goodyear has tested the silica and found it can perform as well as "traditional" material for tires, the company said in a press release.
• The new silica benefits the environment, said Richard J. Krauer, chairman and CEO of Goodyear. "It reduces waste going into landfills; it requires less energy to produce; and it helps make tires more fuel-efficient," he said.

Dive Insight:

Goodyear plans to use the new silica this year in tires that will be manufactured at its plant in Pulandian, China; the tires will be sold in China. Each year more than 700 million tons of rice are harvested worldwide, according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. These husks often are burned to generate electricity. Ash from that burning process ican beused to create the silica.