Polyurethane auto tires in development

Goodyear has signed an agreement to jointly develop an all-polyurethane car tire with Amerityre, a Nevade-based company that now makes polyurethane bicycle tires. The tires will be produced using new-generation polyurethane technology that will make tires less prone to tread separation and blowout, officials say.
Work done between 1950 and 1970 produced polyurethane tires that did not measure up to conventional rubber tires. Since then, according to Goodyear Advanced Products manager Ron Dill, material performance and process improvements in polyurethane technology could make PU tires a reality in several years.
Success will depend on solving the problem of heat buildup which, according to one scientist, remains a barrier to producing polyurethane auto tires.