Chapter 20, Problem 3P

Tires are the dominant product of the rubber industry, accounting for nearly $\raisebox{1ex}{$3$}\!\left/ \!\raisebox{-1ex}{$4$}\right.$ of all rubber material.

1. What are some of the functions of a vehicle tire?
2. Modern tires are built from multiple plies of material, where a ply is a layer of rubber-coated cord or fabric. What are some of the different constructions that can be made from these plies?
3. Tire construction generally consists of three steps—manufacturing the individual components (plies and belts, filler strips, inner lining, tread strips, sidewall, and others), assembling these components in the desired sequence, and then molding and curing to produce an integral piece. At what stage is the tread design imparted to the tire?
4. Tires are generally cured in the mold. Investigate both the methods, temperatures, and times of heating.