Sign in to your Account at Dow
Sign in with your account details to get access to our exclusive content.
Why Register?
Product Information
Access datasheets, exclusive content and applications
Samples
Request Samples to support formulation work
Stay Updated
Receive the latest news about products, news and more!
Micro-Mobility
Maximizing the micro
Our materials are creating safer, more efficient drones, e-scooters, mopeds and e-bikes.
Micro-mobility is playing a powerful role in the changing transport landscape of global cities. And Dow is committed to the advancement of cutting-edge automotive technologies that boost performance of every component: headlamps, sensors, bellows, battery packs, seats, tires, charging stations and more.
Working with industry partners and manufacturers, our solutions are enabling the micro mobility revolution.
Micro-Mobility
Explore the Dow solutions that are helping to maximize the possibility of micro-mobility.
Related resources for micro-mobility
Explore these resources to learn more about Dow products and technology that can enable lightweight vehicles.
Enhanced productivity, improve reliability and minimize stress with advanced silicone adhesives and sealants.
Find out more about our engineered solutions for vehicle systems design.
Meet e-mobility needs for performance, design flexibility and cost control with innovative technologies from Dow.
Learn about the applications and benefits of SILASTIC™ silicone rubber within mobility.
Imagine a brighter future with material solutions for lighting: LED lighting product selection guide.
Providing riders lightweight, maintenance-free bicycles
Shared bicycles are effective short-distance transportation tools with the advantages of reducing carbon emissions and alleviating traffic congestions. However, the requirements on tires of shared bicycles, such as, riding-comfort, reliability, cost efficiency, and sustainability, are difficult to meet. Air-filled tires are non-reliable with high maintenance costs due to frequent flat tires. Therefore, airless tires have become preferred solutions to shared bicycles today.
SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes produce micron-sized foam structure that balances comfort, strength, and durability while enables new circular economy for air-less tires. Consequently, SPECFLEX™ provides riders lightweight, maintenance-free, and eco-friendly bicycles reducing carbon emissions and facilitates mobility (Figure 1).
Enabling shared-bicycle eco-systems
Figure 1. (A) Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) image of Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes, (B) Airless tires made from SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes, (C) The latest shared-bicycle model utilizing Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes, and (D) Basketball playground made from granules of recycled air-less tires using SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes in 2020 (Guangzhou, China).
What does SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes do?
SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes were molded into 24-inch airless tires with density around 600 kg/m3 (ca. 950 g for each tire) and then mounted onto the wheels of shared bicycles. The air-less tires from SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes eliminate flat-tire risks and bring excellent riding-comfort to riders. Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes are breakthrough products in this field and have been applied to over 3-million bicycles (Figure 2).
Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethane tires
Figure 2. (A) Meituan (Mobike) and (B) Hellobike with Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethane tires.
Different from alternative polyurethane tires that become environmental burdens after service (Figure 3), SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes can be recycled into new applications thanks to patent-pending novel molecular structures (Figure 4).
Airless tires made from problematic materials
Figure 3. Shared bicycles with (A) TPEE airless tires and (B) Dow first-generation microcellular polyurethane air-less tires. (C) Wasted tires with limited recyclability due to inferior material properties caused urgent environment issues. The inserted images in the upper-right corner of panel (A) and (B) illustrate the wear of tires.
Basketball playground made from granules of recycled airless tires
Figure 4. (A) Basketball playground made from granules of recycled SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes air-less tires in 2020 (Guangzhou, China) and (B) illustration of tire granule layer.
How does SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes operate?
SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes apply patent-pending (PCT/CN2019/097011, PCT/CN2019/097014, PCT/CN2020/101771, and PCT/CN2020/102012). Its unique properties, shown in Figure 5, arise from a multi-component system that includes (1) breakthrough ester/ether hybrid structures with unique molecule weight and microstructures, (2) a series of modified isocyanates with variable molecular structure, functionality and molecular weight, (3) a series of standard polyether polyols with variable functionality, molecular weight, structure, and filler content, and (4) additives related to blowing, gelling, appearance, and etc.
Formulated systems used to create a microcellular polyurethane material
Figure 5. Formulated systems employing Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethane technology uses four key components to create a microcellular polyurethane material with excellent tear-resistance, heat stability, internal heat management, abrasion-resistance, weather-ability and recyclability.
Why use SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes?
Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes are advanced microcellular polyurethane foams for airless tires in shared bicycles. It provides superior performance compared to alternative technologies, including;
Exceptional performance for superior riding experiences in shared bicycles with safety, comfortableness and durability (Figure 6).
Breakthrough technology enabling recyclable tires of shared bicycles (Figure 7).
10% reduction in rate of defective tires.
20% lower in cost.
Performance comparison of Dow SPECFLEX™ and products from airless tires
Figure 6. Performance comparison between Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes and products from Dow’s first-generation and competitor for airless tires. Dow SPECFLEX™ Microcellular Polyurethanes show exceptional performance in attributes of tear-resistance, heat-stability, internal heat management, abrasion-resistance, and recyclability, while maintaining good weatherability.
Tensile strength of samples made from tire granules
Figure 7. Tensile strength of samples made from tire granules of fresh tires and recycled tires from various products using 25 wt.% of Dow standard VORAMER™ MR 1045L as binder.
Questions about Dow Mobility products and capabilities? Get in touch with a representative.
Hear from Dow with our latest innovations and news as we accelerate towards a more resilient, low-carbon future.