What are tires made of?
Tires take 8 things directly, among them synthetic rubber, natural rubber latex, carbon black, sulfur, steel wire and brass. Trace them back and you pass 41 made things on the way to 22 raw materials.
How tires are made See it on the map
What goes straight in
- Synthetic rubberat Blend the rubber compounds
- Natural rubber latexat Blend the rubber compounds
- Carbon blackat Blend the rubber compounds
- Sulfurat Blend the rubber compounds
- Steel wireat Wrap the bead wire
- Brassat Brass-coat the steel cords
- Nylonat Press cords into rubber sheets
- Polyesterat Press cords into rubber sheets
From the ground: 22 raw materials
- Natural rubber latex goes straight in
- Sulfur goes straight in
- Water through carbon black
- Crude oil through carbon black
- Air through carbon black
- Natural gas through synthetic rubber, ethylene
- Copper ore through brass, copper
- Zinc ore through brass, zinc
- Lead ore through brass, lead
- Tin ore through brass, tin
- Coal through brass, aluminum
- Iron ore through steel wire, steel, manganese
- Limestone through steel wire, steel, quicklime
- Dolomite through steel wire, steel, magnesium
- Manganese ore through steel wire, steel, manganese
- Bauxite through brass, aluminum, alumina
- Quartz through steel wire, steel, magnesium, metallurgical silicon
- Timber through steel wire, steel, magnesium, metallurgical silicon
- Rock salt through brass, aluminum, alumina, caustic soda
- Corn through polyester, PET plastic, ethylene glycol, carbon dioxide
- Sugarcane through polyester, PET plastic, ethylene glycol, carbon dioxide, baker's yeast, molasses
- Sugar beet through polyester, PET plastic, ethylene glycol, carbon dioxide, baker's yeast, molasses
Made along the way: 35 things
Metals 12
Chemicals and fuels 19
NaphthaBenzeneEthyleneStyreneNitric acidAmmoniaHydrogenTolueneOxygen gasQuicklimeArgonSulfuric acidPetroleum cokePara-xyleneEthylene glycolPropaneCaustic sodaCarbon dioxideCharcoal