Science: Plastic Tire

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A plastic tire was announced by Good year last week. According to Goodyear, it had some advantages over tires of syn thetic or natural rubber. Unlike synthetic rubber (itself a soft plastic), the new tread does not readily become overheated on the road. Unlike natural rubber, it does not deteriorate in sunlight.

The new tire material is an elastic vinyl plastic called Plioflex, which Good year had already found good for many other uses, including a garden hose which is much lighter than rubber-and-fabric, shoe uppers that need no polishing and can be cleaned with a damp cloth, heels, raincoats, draperies, etc. The key to its tire-making properties is a new curing agent that makes it possible to vulcanize Plioflex.

Whether Plioflex tires can compete in cost and durability with synthetic or natural rubber remains to be shown. In preliminary tests a Plioflex tire has been run 8,000 miles. (A good rubber tire, driven at 35 miles an hour, will run about 50,000 miles; a synthetic tire, 20,000.)