Evonik Launches Highly Dispersible, Low-Surface-Area Silica

Evonik Industries has developed a new, active filler that significantly increases winter tire grip in wet and snowy conditions for the tire industry, thereby delivering high safety. ULTRASIL® 4000 GR is also the first low surface area (LSA) silica offering excellent dispersibility. This enables very high filler loadings in the tire tread and further increases grip compared to tires using conventional silica. Bernhard Schäfer, Senior Vice President Rubber Silica at Evonik, stated: "The product design specific to ULTRASIL® 4000 GR combines excellent dispersibility with low surface area, which is a feature that enables high filler loadings. Despite the high filler content, this silica disperses easily into the rubber compound. Even after short mixing cycles, it is possible to produce compact rubber batches with good appearance. " Silica is part of the Smart Materials division at Evonik and thus forms one of four strategic growth pillars within the company. These smart products enhance the performance of many materials.   Source