Tyre Mixture
What’s in Your Tyres?
At first glance, a tyre might seem like a simple black ring of rubber — but in reality, it’s a highly engineered product made from a complex blend of materials designed to perform under all kinds of driving conditions.
Modern passenger car tyres typically contain over 25 components and up to 12 different rubber compounds. Each material contributes to safety, comfort, and performance.
Natural and Synthetic Rubber: The Foundation
The process begins with natural rubber, extracted from special rubber trees. The raw latex is coagulated using acid, cleaned with water, and pressed into bales.
Alongside natural rubber, tyre manufacturers use synthetic rubber, which is created in laboratories by combining different chemicals.
During manufacturing, these rubber bales are precisely cut, weighed, and blended with other ingredients according to detailed formulations — each tailored to specific performance goals such as grip, wear resistance, or rolling efficiency.
Follow the Thread: Reinforcing Materials
The strength of a tyre doesn’t come from rubber alone. The textile industry provides materials like rayon, nylon, polyester, and aramid fibres, which are spun into cords that reinforce the tyre’s structure.
These cords form essential layers that stabilize the tyre and ensure it maintains shape, even at high speeds or under heavy loads.
Steel for Strength and Stability
The steel industry supplies high-strength steel wire, which is used in two critical areas:
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Steel belts – providing rigidity and strength beneath the tread
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Bead cores – securing the tyre firmly to the wheel rim
Together, these steel reinforcements help maintain stability, improve handling, and protect against punctures.
A Material for Every Tyre Component
Let’s look at the key materials used throughout the different layers of a tyre:
| Component | Primary Materials |
|---|---|
| Tread | Natural and synthetic rubber |
| Jointless cap plies | Nylon embedded in rubber |
| Belt plies | High-strength steel cords |
| Textile cord ply | Rubberised rayon or polyester |
| Inner liner | Butyl rubber (for air retention) |
| Sidewall | Natural rubber (for flexibility and protection) |
| Bead reinforcement | Nylon or aramid |
| Bead apex | Synthetic rubber |
| Bead core | Steel wire embedded in rubber |
By the Numbers: What’s in a Tyre?
On average, the composition of a typical Continental summer tyre (e.g., 205/55 R 16 91V ContiPremiumContact 5) includes:
| Material Category | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Rubber (natural & synthetic) | 41% |
| Fillers (carbon black, silica, chalk, etc.) | 30% |
| Reinforcing materials (steel, polyester, nylon, rayon) | 15% |
| Plasticisers (oils and resins)¹ | 6% |
| Chemicals for vulcanisation (sulphur, zinc oxide, etc.) | 6% |
| Anti-ageing agents & others | 2% |
¹ Since 2010, strict EU limits regulate plasticisers classified as harmful. Continental uses alternative oils that remain well below these limits.
Seasonal Tyre Compounds
The chemical composition of a tyre varies depending on its intended use:
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Summer tyres feature softer compounds that provide maximum grip and handling in warm conditions — but they harden below 7 °C, reducing traction.
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Winter tyres are designed with special rubber blends that stay flexible in the cold, maintaining grip on snow and ice.
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All-season tyres strike a balance, offering consistent performance in mild climates year-round.
Materials for Quiet Comfort: ContiSilent™ Technology
For drivers seeking a quieter ride, Continental has developed ContiSilent™, a noise-reducing technology that significantly lowers interior cabin sound.
A layer of polyurethane foam is attached to the inner surface of the tyre tread. This foam absorbs vibrations and road noise, reducing sound inside the vehicle by up to 9 dB(A) — even at high speeds or varying temperatures.
Tried, Tested, and Guaranteed
Every Continental tyre is produced using premium-quality materials and undergoes rigorous testing before reaching the market.
Each model — winter or summer — is tested across diverse conditions and road surfaces using cutting-edge technology. These tests ensure one clear goal:
To make every drive safer.