Investigation of the external conditions and material compositions affecting the formation mechanism and size distribution of tire wear particles

Increasing amounts of tire wear particles (TWPs) are generated every day, which is extremely harmful to the environment. However, investigations on the external factors affecting the formation mechanism of TWPs are still limited. In this research, a homemade rubber abrasion device was designed to collect and detect TWPs. Based on this device, the influences of the material composition, microstructure, external load, speed, and temperature on the emissions and size distribution of TWPs were examined. The related formation mechanism of the TWPs was proposed. The results showed that (1) with an increase in the silica content in the tread rubber, the emitted amount of fine tire wear particles (FTWPs) increased, while the emitted amount of coarse tire wear particles (CTWPs) decreased. After the introduction of chemically modified silica, the emitted amounts of PM 2.5 and PM 10 decreased. (2) With an increase in the load and speed, the CTWP amounts increased to some extent. The FTWP amounts increased first and then decreased. The FTWP amounts gradually decreased as the temperature increased, which is attributed to the low modulus of the tread rubber and the formation of a lubricating layer on the surface of the tires.