There is something inconvenient, annoying, or even dangerous when a tire deflates (or explodes). The outer part of the tire is made of rubber, it is filled with air inside and is like a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. Why don’t we make all-rubber tires? Why do we fill the inside of the car with air?
According to Scienceabc, the short answer is: A pure rubber tire (a solid, non-inflatable tire) has a number of disadvantages, including a lack of shock absorption and very rapid wear and tear (still needing replacement later). a period of use).
By 1868, the first rubber tire with a hollow core was invented.
The history of tires is not as long as the history of wheels in general (130 vs 5,500 years old). For the sake of simplicity, we will focus on the history of tires and start with a solid rubber tire. When it comes to bicycles, they are usually made of iron on wooden wheels but it wasn’t until 1868 that the first rubber tire with a hollow core was invented. Twenty years later, with the advent of the first gasoline-powered automobile, the first pneumatic tire was invented by Benz (now known as the Mercedes-Benz brand). The first pneumatic tire was a metal wheel covered in rubber and filled with air. Before that, in wagons and other rudimentary vehicles, the wheels were made of metal. So this new invention changed the whole game.
When neoprene was invented in the early 20th century, it was used more effectively for tires. And the invention of patterns (slots with different shapes on the tyres) on the wheels increased the coefficient of road friction, which meant more grip on the road and safer rides.
Wheels continue to evolve with types such as low pressure tires, tubeless tires and radial tires . Certain types of tires can help keep the vehicle running despite a puncture or aid in more effective braking. Now, we have a new generation of tires called NPT tires – airless tires , which are recyclable and friendly to vehicles. However, why have air-filled tires become so popular over the past century? What is the benefit of the air inside the tire?
Inflated rubber tires also help reduce friction.
When it comes to tire design, the most important factor is the ability of the air to be compressed and expand easily , unlike something made of a solid material. For example, when you are surfing on the road at a speed of about 96km/h and suddenly encounter an obstacle such as a small rock or a hole in the road, the rubber tire will immediately absorb and help the car pass with minimal shock. On the contrary, if it is a solid wheel (no air inside), you will have a shock, uncomfortable wobble, even an accident. Because the air inside helps the tires continuously expand to absorb the force, the driver almost doesn’t feel much about insignificant obstacles.
Besides, inflated rubber tires also help reduce friction. This is why rubber tires were used in the past, before cars could travel at high speeds on the road. When traveling on flat roads, with few obstacles, rubber tires will have less damage than when it continuously overcomes obstacles with high friction. In fact, most people change a tire not because of a puncture, but because it has worn down over time and no longer retains the necessary friction with the road surface.
Meanwhile, with solid rubber tires (no air inside), production costs will be higher and make the overall vehicle heavier. In addition, this type of tire has a lower shock absorption effect than an air-inflated tire.
Now, there are some bikes that are optimized using specialized tyres, e.g. mountain bike – low pressure tyre, racing bike – high pressure tyre. Do we understand why it is necessary to pump air into the tires? But which type of gas pump is the most optimal?
Nitrogen-filled tires have less pressure changes due to the influence of temperature.
In recent years, tires have often been filled with nitrogen gas rather than normal air. Formula 1 cars have long used nitrogen in their wheels for a few reasons: nitrogen maintains a steady tire pressure for longer than oxygen; Furthermore, nitrogen-filled tires have less pressure changes due to the influence of temperature. Tires with nitrogen inside tend to adjust to air temperature and humidity.
Nitrogen is “dry” and maintains a more consistent pressure in the tires, regardless of where the race is held or the relative humidity on race day. This provides more safety and stability than in the case of tires that are not inflated with nitrogen gas. Many car manufacturers have begun offering rubber tires with nitrogen gas inside, but the true value of nitrogen in this case is sometimes overstated. The reason drivers, especially racers want nitrogen-filled tires, is because they are capable of traveling beyond 321 km/h so any slightest change in pressure or compression in Tires can be dangerous, if not very dangerous.
For the average driver, slight fluctuations in the humidity and air pressure inside the tires have little effect.