Russia's SIBUR, Ikon Tyres develop tires with tread made from import-substituted synthetic rubber

MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - SIBUR and Ikon Tyres, a tire plant of Tatneft in Vsevolozhsk, have developed and tested tires with a tread made from import-substituted synthetic rubber, the petrochemical holding said on its Telegram channel.

"The tread of new Ikon Tires features SIBUR's DSSK-615 synthetic rubber, which has replaced imported brands. During testing, telemetric sensors confirmed the new tires fully meet all standards," it said.

The tests were conducted on the ice of a frozen lake near Nizhnevartovsk.

"Through joint efforts [with Tatneft], we have achieved 99% localization. The next stage involves replacing expensive natural rubber, supplies of which fully depend on Southeast Asian countries," Anatoly Svetlikov, the director of SIBUR's transport division, was quoted as saying.

In December 2024, Darya Borisova, board member and managing director for development and innovations at SIBUR, said that the company is developing its own rubber compound formulations and advancing high-tech rubber grades for the tire industry. In 2025, SIBUR will present test results for prototype tires containing synthetic isoprene rubber instead of natural rubber supplied from Asia-Pacific countries, she said.