New eco-friendly material to halve cost of run-flat tires

Japan's Omikenshi stakes financial turnaround on new fiber

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A mechanic changes tires of a car: run-flat tires allow vehicles to keep going for a while after a puncture. © Reuters

SOSUKE KARINO, Nikkei staff writer

OSAKA -- Japanese fiber maker Omikenshi has developed a material used in run-flat tires that can be produced at roughly half the cost and with half the carbon emissions as the typical alternative.

The material, which the company aims to commercialize in fiscal 2021, will be used in the carcass layer, which is responsible for holding in high-pressure air and maintaining the structure of the tire.

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