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Industry and lab groups report several promising routes to reduce or replace 6PPD in tires
Summary
Presenters from Flexus, Lanxis, Faradayne and others described non‑PPD chemistries, CCPD testing, graphene additives, and candidate molecules that aim to preserve tire performance while reducing aquatic toxicity; several groups said data release will follow IP protection and further testing.
Multiple industry and laboratory presenters described alternative approaches to reduce or eliminate 6PPD and its quinone transformation products from tire wear.
Neil Smith of Flexus said the company has ideated and synthesized thousands of candidate molecules and, after multi‑year testing, has a small set that meet internal performance, environmental, and mammalian toxicity criteria. Flexus intends to secure intellectual‑property protection before releasing full datasets but committed to data sharing after IP is in place.
Audrey Bethune of Lanxis presented GLP environmental fate and aquatic testing for CCPD and CCPD‑quinone, reporting substantially higher biodegradation for CCPD (~61% in OECD 301d tests vs ~2% for 6PPD), hydrolytic instability that depends on pH, and coho/rainbow trout LC50 results that are orders of magnitude higher (safer) than corresponding 6PPD quinone values presented elsewhere. Bethune noted ongoing uncertainty about environmental exposure regimes and transformation products and said further evaluation is underway.
Troy Tack (Faradayne/Paradigm Power) described using graphene additives to reduce reliance on 6PPD within tire formulations; he cited studies (and Akron collaborators) suggesting graphene can reduce required 6PPD by 70–80% or potentially replace it, and described production capacity at existing plants (e.g., 30 tons/month in Tennessee) that could scale additive supply.
Why it matters: Washington and California have designated tires with 6PPD as priority products; regulators are evaluating alternatives. Presenters emphasized the dual constraint of (a) avoiding regrettable substitutes that harm people or ecosystems, and (b) preserving tire safety and performance standards.
Limits and next steps: Industry speakers stressed the need for independent review of toxicity and transformation products, larger scale field testing of tire wear and environmental fate, and clarity on regulatory timelines. Tribal and agency speakers at the forum urged prioritizing coho‑relevant test systems rather than surrogate species when evaluating alternatives.
At the forum, multiple presenters called for rapid but rigorous review pathways (including fast‑track PMN review at EPA where appropriate) to ensure potentially safer substitutes are assessed thoroughly for environmental and human health hazards before broad adoption.
