Byelorussian Steel Works (BMZ) - Management Company of “Byelorussian Metallurgical Company” Holding, Steel Cord and Wire Products Research Centre (Zhlobin, Republic of Belarus):

A. V. Vedeneev, metsc@bmz.gomel.by

Since the time when reinforcing material for tyres and industrial rubber articles (steel cord) appeared, one can see its constant development in embodiment, as well as in strength characteristics. Generally, this development is caused by requirements change in tyre industry. A lot of tyre enterprises aimed to reduce materials consumption, to reduce the loss in rolling, to increase the working life of tyres in order to develop their production. Due to this, the priority requirements for steel cord and rubber-steel cord composites for tyres will be the following ones: service life increase of steel cord rubber system; further decrease in breaker materials consumption due to the usage of high-strength and compact constructions of steel cord together with improved covering rubbers and technological processes to manufacture rubber-cord composites.

Based on this review, we can note that one direction in steel cord development lies in strength increase of the wire that is in use for all constructions. The next direction is to produce constructions with high penetration depth of rubber mixture due to the usage of constructions with changeable geometric disposition of wires with specially deformed wires like "Betru" and "FRP" types, and also multiple ply cord with changeable geometric disposition of core wires and a combined one with a textile thread.

For steel cord of a breaker ply the constructions with high stiffness should be developed by using wires of an increased diameter. The application of steel cord compact constructions and a combined one with a textile thread in a carcass ply is the most reasonable idea. They ensure high endurance level.