Why are car tires black?

Question

Could there be colored car tires?

Answer 1

Sure, and there have been.  Some municipalities have laws against them as the coloured streaks left on the road by spinning tires and hard braking get confused with other road markings, so, except for specialty use, there is no market for tire makers to make coloured tires.  Besides, coloured tires are not as good as black tires.

Carbon black, for obscure reasons, something that Mr Goodyear discovered by accident, greatly improves wear resistance, and coincidentally, wet traction.  It does not make the rubber harder or softer as such, but improves both wear and traction.

Coloured treads do not contain carbon black or they would be black, because the amount of carbon is substantial (over 25%).

Kumho makes coloured smoke tires, DOT-approved, for competition use only.   There are multi-coloured motorcycle tires available for show bikes, again, not street use.

Answer 2

When Rubber is made for auto use, it is built up of different carbons.

Answer 3

Why are Tires Black?

    Left alone, tires dry out, discolor and eventually crack and split. “Dry rot” is a multi-million dollar problem for RVers, trailer boaters and owners of classic cars that are parked for extended periods.

    The major factor degrading tires and other synthetic and rubber products is ozone, an odorless gas which is part of the air we breath. When combined with ultraviolet light (the invisible part of sunlight) a reaction occurs that attacks the tire polymer.

    To protect against ozone and UV damage, a stabilizer molecule called a “competitive absorber” is blended with the tire polymer. Competitive absorbers work by capturing and absorbing UV radiation and converting it to heat which is dissipated harmlessly. All tire manufacturers use the same competitive absorber, carbon black. This is why all tires are black...why tires are not available in designer colors.

    These absorbers are sacrificial; they expend themselves in performing their function of changing UV to heat. As carbon black loses it’s ability to perform, it turns gray. This is one reason why black tires discolor as they age.

    To protect from further ozone damage, tire manufacturers add a wax compound to their formulas. Tires flex when they are in motion, causing the wax molecules to migrate to the surface. This forms a protective barrier between the air (ozone and oxygen) and the tire polymer. In the tire trade this is called “blooming”.

    When tires are parked for extended periods, blooming does not occur and ozone starts attacking the polymer. With UV light and ozone working in concert, the degradation is accelerated, resulting in drying, discoloration and cracking.

    The best product we know of to r****d ozone and UV damage is 303 Aerospace Protectant. A quick spray of 303 Protectant leaves tires looking great and protects them with the equivalent of an SPF 40 sunscreen.

Answer 4

probably- like in the disney movie "cars" the car has white tires. my guess is so the dirt doesnt show up, and also the material they make it out of is probably easier to dye black than any other color

Answer 5

Carbon used in making the tire darkens it, making it black.

Black tires are cheap. Colored tires exist, but are expensive.

Black doesn't show the dirt and grime picked up on the road as easily as..say, white tires do.

Answer 6

Funny question!

haha but i think just cuz it's more convietient, black goes with every colour(of car) and since the tires are black no one has to worry about colours fading etc.!

Answer 7

Carbon in the rubber makes them black. Colored tires can be had but are expensive and quickly will not look so good.

Answer 8

They're black because it's cheap. Sure you can get colored tires, but it's quite expensive!