Pilar Bernal Ortega

Pilar studied chemical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV, Spain), following this with an MSc in high specialization in plastics and rubber (UIMP, Spain). In 2016, Pilar was awarded a government grant to pursue a PhD in rubber technology in the elastomers group at the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP, Spain), with a PhD thesis on sulfur-modified carbon nanotubes for the development of rubber tire tread compounds. Pilar joined the elastomer technology & engineering group as a post-doctoral researcher in December 2019.

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Presentation

Use of resins as an alternative to oil in tire tread compounds

The market demand for high-performance products requires constant research to improve the performance and safety of tires. The well-known magic triangle of tires remains a major challenge for tire manufacturers. In this study, the use of resins as an alternative to TDAE oil in tire tread compounds was investigated to simultaneously optimize wet grip, wear and rolling resistance.