TERIS - Technology Platform for Tire Abrasion and the Identification of Its Emissions in Road Traffic

The overall goal is to develop a technology platform for new tire formulations. Realistic abrasion is generated from samples, collected, classified using AI, the particle sizes are predicted, and the samples are then weathered and analyzed.

First Milestone Reached

The Fraunhofer consortium has successfully completed the first project milestone. Results are available, among other things, on the generation and analysis of reference abrasion, tribological models and friction structures, AI-supported surface analysis, the concept for a new abrasion machine, and methods for accelerated aging, weathering, and VOC detection. The project advisory board, comprising industry experts, confirmed the project’s current status during the milestone review.

This completes the planned proof of concept for the core components of the technology platform. In the next project phase, the functional test bench will be set up, optical analysis will be linked to real rubber samples, and methods for particle and emission forecasting will be further developed.

Generating Tire Abrasion Under Real-World Conditions

To generate reference abrasion data, initial tests were conducted on a tire inner drum test rig. This rig allows for the precise adjustment of wheel load, circumferential forces, and lateral forces, as well as the use of different road surfaces. By combining various collection methods, both airborne and settling particles can be captured.

During the preliminary tests, sufficient reference abrasion material was obtained for subsequent offline analyses. The particles were examined using laser diffraction, revealing a broad particle size distribution. The results form the basis for further measurement series, a coordinated catalog of driving maneuvers, and the development of a standardizable testing methodology.

New Abrasion Machine for Early-Stage Material Development

Fraunhofer LBF has developed the basic concept for a laboratory system designed to generate and simultaneously capture realistic abrasion directly on rubber samples. This allows material mixtures to be examined before a complete tire is available. For the machine concept, real-world driving loads were translated to laboratory conditions, and key influencing factors — such as slip and contact pressure — were taken into account.

The system is designed to detect sedimenting and suspended particles separately and to integrate optical sensors for examining the stressed rubber surface.

Artificial Intelligence Recognizes Surface Structures

Fraunhofer IGD is developing an optical detection system that automatically recognizes, characterizes, and classifies stressed surfaces. To this end, a high-resolution camera system was set up and a neural network was trained to analyze the image data.

The first proof of concept was conducted using substitute materials whose surfaces were specifically designed with different structures. The AI model correctly assigned the samples in the validation dataset to the three defined texture classes. In the next project phase, the methodology will be applied to real rubber abrasion marks. In the long term, the optical analysis is intended not only to identify surface classes but also to provide information on the resulting particle size distribution.

Understanding Friction Structures and Particle Formation

Fraunhofer IWM is investigating how load, material properties, temperature, and the structure of the friction surface influence the formation of different abrasion particles. To this end, an existing abrasion test rig was adapted for testing small rubber samples. Different friction surfaces, normal forces, and speeds can be systematically compared with one another.

The results to date show that roughness, friction, heating, and particle formation are closely related. Depending on the load and surface, different particle shapes and size distributions result. These findings are incorporated into the design of the friction surfaces for the new abrasion machine and into the development of tribological models.

Accounting for Aging and Environmental Influences

Fraunhofer ICT is developing a combined test chamber that can be used to accelerate the aging of rubber samples under defined environmental conditions. The chamber is designed to expose samples to the combined effects of temperature, humidity, water, UV radiation, ozone, corrosive gases, and mechanical stress. The goal is to investigate how a material’s state of aging alters its abrasion behavior and the properties of the resulting particles.

In addition, Fraunhofer LBF is investigating the degradation of tire abrasion under weathering conditions. Volatile organic compounds formed during UV exposure are collected and chemically analyzed. The first detection of weathering-induced volatile degradation products has been successful. The measurement methodology is being further optimized to identify and quantify the compounds.

Digitally Predicting Abrasion and Emissions

In addition to the experimental investigations, models are being developed that incorporate tire wear into vehicle and fleet simulations. These models are based, among other things, on real-world wheel force measurements, typical driving maneuvers, and various road profiles. The goal is to develop models for the quantity and size distribution of airborne and settling particles.

The combination of test bench results, particle analysis, optical surface evaluation, and simulation is expected to enable a comprehensive assessment of new tire materials in the future. This will allow emission-related properties to be identified earlier in the development process and new rubber compounds to be optimized in a more targeted manner.

Added Value for Industry, Testing Services, and Regulatory Authorities

The TERIS technology platform is aimed in particular at tire and material manufacturers, testing services, vehicle manufacturers, and stakeholders in environmental assessment and regulation. The methods developed are intended to help

• reproducibly generate realistic tire wear in the laboratory,
• separately detect suspended and settling particles,
• compare rubber compounds as early as the initial development phase, 
• assess the impact of aging and environmental conditions,
• to predict particle emissions for vehicle and fleet simulations, 
• to shorten development and testing cycles, and
• to lay the foundation for standardizable testing and evaluation procedures.

Next Steps

Following the successful proof of concept, the technology platform will be further refined in the upcoming project phase. Key priorities include:

• setting up and operating the functional test bench,
• applying AI-supported analysis to real rubber surfaces,
• linking optical data with measured particle size distributions, 
• further development of the weathering and emission models.

PREPARE-Projekt

The “TERIS” project is funded by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as part of the “PREPARE Program.” This program supports innovative research projects within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft that aim to develop groundbreaking technologies and solutions applicable across a wide range of fields.

The following institutes are participating, each with their respective areas of focus: 

• Fraunhofer ICT - Abrasion characterization and methods for combinatorial pre-aging, emission forecasting for fleet simulation
• Fraunhofer IGD – AI-supported optics and models for tread analysis and particle classification
• Fraunhofer IWM – Tribological wear models and concepts for friction surface development
• Fraunhofer LBF – Abrasion machine, weathering methods for the analytical tracking of degradation processes