Towards cleaner tire production: Experimental evaluation of eco-friendly silicone treads with a redesigned interlocking arrangement in the ECOTIRE concept

• A new interlocking arrangement for the ECOTIRE removable tread system is experimentally investigated. • The redesigned geometry improves the mechanical stability of silicone tread modules. • Experimental results confirm reduced climbing and separation between tread components. • Force transmission and contact stability are enhanced under both longitudinal and lateral loading. • The improved arrangement remains manufacturable and compatible with eco-friendly silicone treads. . The development of eco-friendly and modular tire concepts offers a promising pathway to reduce material waste and environmental impact. Within the ECOTIRE framework, a removable tread was previously proposed to extend casing lifespan and enable the use of alternative materials. This study investigates silicone as a sustainable tread material under a new mechanical link arrangement. Unlike previous modular tread designs that focused primarily on material selection, this study uniquely combines silicone’s eco-friendly durability with a geometry-driven redesign of the interlock. This dual focus on material and arrangement establishes a practical framework that advances both performance and sustainability. Experimental tests using the Virtual Contact Patch rig subjected silicone samples to longitudinal and lateral loading under normal forces of 300–2000 N (0.3-2 bar equivalent inflation pressure). Results show that the redesigned geometry enhances interlock performance, with longitudinal load capacity increasing by over 60%, lateral load capacity by nearly 90%, and tangential stiffness by up to 80% at lower loads, while climbing tendencies were markedly reduced. In addition to improved mechanics, the new arrangement simplifies manufacturability and optimizes space use. These advances, combined with silicone’s durability and eco-friendly properties as base material, confirm the potential of ECOTIRE as a pathway toward high-performance, recyclable tire systems aligned with circular economy goals.