The Reason Why Tires Are Black

With the introduction of black tires, the time of wooden wheels and milky white wall tires has ended. What happened exactly? It's true that this switch is not news, yet the story behind it is interesting.

Why did the automotive industry leave white tires in the past and why did it turn to black tire sets for vehicle models?

The short answer is that cars need durable tire sets.

These tire models have to prevent heat build-up, optimize tread wear, and provide all necessary handling capabilities. This is where black tires came into the picture. Tire brands recognized the need for stronger tires. They started mixing rubber materials in order to try to achieve their goals.

Why Are Car Tires Black?

While black tires might be considered boring, there is a good reason for their color. Fully white tires, which are usually found on classic cars, are a thing of the past due to their bad durability. Therefore, tire manufacturers had to come up with better rubber blends to increase their performance and tread life.

Let's take a look at why tires are black.

To put it simply, a black tire is manufactured by mixing natural rubber with carbon black. This gives the tires its "natural color" which is black. Therefore, the end result of vulcanized rubber makes sure modern tires are black!

What Is Rubber's Natural Color?

Natural rubber latex has a milky white color. Due to this, in the beginning, car tires were fully white. However, they did not provide much durability for motorized vehicles. Tire brands had to combine other polymers and carbon black with the natural rubber, which has given car tires their black color.

What Are Tires Made of?

The black color is the result of what tires are made of, which is basically a special mix of rubber compounds. Manufacturers create these compounds for the traction, road surface contact, durability, and performance of their products.

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Therefore, a black tire set will use a combination of natural rubber, carbon black, other polymers, and stabilizing chemical additives. Additionally, they will feature stable belt areas and offer excellent tensile strength. However, we will just focus on their rubber compounds, and not on the tire structure.

Whether you have a black tire set or whitewall tires mounted on your vehicle, they must pass safety guidelines. For this reason, most tires are made with chemical compound mixes to ensure the tread areas' performance and traction.

Black Tires: Carbon Black

Generally speaking, a black tire is black because of the carbon black additives in its rubber compound. This is the byproduct of the combustion of versatile petroleum products, which strengthens the tire.

This rubber filler, like the name suggests, has a naturally black color which it imparts to the rubber compound. Therefore, it is the reason why tires are black.

However, it does more than that! Carbon black increases the tire's hot weather performance and provides the vehicle with a more reliable drive. A black tire is a good absorber and a good conductor of heat, which is an added bonus as it offers excellent tire qualities.

Why Is Carbon Black Important?

When it comes to car tires, carbon black is crucial for its safe performance. Discovering its positive attributes has effectively changed the automotive industry.

By adding carbon black to tires, not only are they able to maintain a healthy tire temperature, but it also enhances their handling, service life, and damage resistance. But more on that later...

First, let's talk about an era before black tires were introduced to the market.

Pure vulcanized rubber, which was used to create white tires in the beginning, is not strong. However, these old cars were not for daily driving. Those cars were basically motorized carriages. However, with the growth of the car industry, tire brands also had to up their game.

But, why? Well, white rubber wears quickly. Those tires did not last for longer than 5,000 miles, which is not a desirable trait. With today's standards, that's ridiculous.

To upgrade their durability pure vulcanized rubber was mixed with different fillers, including carbon black. The end result is the black tires we know today.

Why Is Carbon Black Added to Rubber Tires?

The next question to answer: why do car drivers prefer black tire sets?

Using fillers in the rubber blends does not just turn tires black, as carbon black increases the model's ability to conduct heat. Black-colored tires are perfect for daily driving.

Let's see what exactly does carbon black offers in black tires:

Avoiding Damage From UV Rays

The sun's UV rays can easily damage tires. The UV light shines on the tires almost constantly, which can dry the rubber out. Rubber needs to hold some moisture in order to safely perform. When sun rays dry tires out, small hairline cracks appear on the tread and sidewalls areas.

This is called dry rot, which significantly shortens the tire's usability. The reason why tires are black is to guard the sensitive white rubber against sun damage. A black tire surface will absorb the UV rays better, minimizing their corrosive effects on the rubber.

Lengthened Tread Life

Heat build-up is a big issue all car tires have to deal with. Adding carbon black to the compound allows black tires to conduct heat well. They do not allow such accumulation, which helps to decrease the overall treadwear rate.

This is especially important in summer weather when hot temperatures rule. Conducting heat enables black tires to evenly circulate driving pressure, preventing irregular and premature wear. Therefore, a black tire set will last longer than white sidewall models.