Tire Reinforcement Needs of the Future

This paper is concerned with the forecasting of the tire industry, as seen by a supplier, with special emphasis on the possible future of steel as a reinforcement material and on some of the forces which may affect steel usage in the next decade.

In making its forecasts of future reinforcement needs, Monsanto placed primary emphasis on projecting market shares by tire construction type: bias, bias belted, or radial, and on the reinforcement material of choice in each market segment. Current trends and forces shaping the future of the tire industry are analyzed, and graphs are presented of automotive production and a variety of tire projections from 1972-1982.