Driven by the "dual carbon" goals, the green transformation of the tire industry is moving from concept to practice. Modified bio-based silica, produced from rice husks and carbon dioxide, has become a key technology for solving the high energy consumption and high emission problems of traditional tires, injecting new momentum into the sustainable development of the rubber industry, thanks to its superior performance and environmental value.

A Green Raw Material Turning Waste into Treasure
Traditional silica relies on non-renewable mineral resources such as quartz sand, and the production process consumes large amounts of sulfuric acid, resulting in high carbon emission intensity. In contrast, rice husks, the raw material for bio-based silica, are agricultural waste, with a global annual production exceeding 100 million tons. Its silica content reaches 17%-20%, and the silica purity in the burned rice husk ash can reach over 90%, making it an ideal silicon source. During the production process, carbon dioxide is used as a precipitation agent instead of sulfuric acid, not only reducing costs but also achieving carbon recycling: for every ton of bio-based silica produced, 0.5 tons of carbon dioxide can be absorbed, equivalent to the annual carbon sequestration of planting 25 trees. This combination of "agricultural waste + greenhouse gases" truly achieves green manufacturing through "waste-to-waste" treatment.

Performance Breakthrough in Tire Innovation: The core value of modified bio-based silica lies in its revolutionary improvement in tire performance. Through in-situ green modification technology, its nano-particles exhibit better dispersion in rubber, significantly enhanced compatibility with rubber molecules, and the formation of a denser reinforcing network. Test data shows that adding this material reduces tire rolling resistance by 3.7%, equivalent to a fuel saving of 0.2 liters per 100 kilometers; reduces fatigue temperature rise by 15%, effectively preventing tire aging caused by high temperatures and extending service life; and improves durability by 4.5%, significantly enhancing wear resistance under complex road conditions. Even more impressively, it maintains excellent anti-skid performance in low-temperature environments, balancing energy saving and safety.

Industrial Implementation in China: my country has established a complete chain from R&D to industrialization in the field of bio-based silica. Through multiple rounds of process optimization, the China Petroleum & Chemical Research Institute (CNPC) has determined the application scheme of modified silica in solution-polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and promoted its full-series performance testing in tire companies. Anhui Jinhua Silicon has built the world's first 10,000-ton/year carbon dioxide acidification production line, while companies such as Jiangxi Jinkang and Wenzhou Molong have also achieved high-value utilization of rice husks. These practices have not only broken the foreign technological monopoly but also constructed a circular economy model of "rice husk recycling - silica production - tire manufacturing," providing a replicable model for the resource utilization of agricultural waste.

From rice husks in the field to green tires, the industrialization of bio-based silica is not only a breakthrough in materials science but also a vivid practice of the circular economy. It allows the tire industry to break free from its dependence on fossil resources, transforming agricultural waste into high-performance industrial raw materials while absorbing greenhouse gases, achieving a win-win situation for both economic and ecological benefits. With the continuous maturation of the technology, this green material will undoubtedly accelerate the tire industry's progress towards a lower-carbon and more sustainable future.