So how did this legendary compound come into being? At the Continental R&D labs in Korbach, our heroic team of engineers grapple with one of the fundamental problems of tire construction. Essentially, the running properties of a rubber compound of a tire are determined by three co-dependent factors:
- Grip
- Rolling Resistance
- Mileage
The challenge is that when you make improvements in one area, there’s a performance penalty in at least one other area. A compound which offers maximum levels of grip, for example, will wear out faster and roll slower. Conversely, a compound optimized for higher speeds or greater durability has a reduced ability to grip.
The BlackChili compound is different because it takes advantage of the latest innovations in polymer and other raw material research. For the first step, we refine proven natural rubber with special synthetic rubbers into a high-performance tread mixture. Next, the mixture is combined with special nanometric carbon soot particles. Finally, the surface and shape properties are optimized for the best use case of the tire.
The result is that BlackChili compound provides a truly unprecedented level of performance. Compared to Activated Silica Compound – our previous best performer – BlackChili tires have 30% higher grip, 26% less rolling resistance, and 5% increase in mileage. The speed and grip advantages are readily apparent, applied to either a bike or a car tire.
Furthermore, the science behind BlackChili is in constant development; we can adjust the formulation of the compound to match individual requirements of new Continental tires rolling out of the factory in Korbach. In other words, it’s possible to tailor the tire to the specific needs of the vehicle. The compound technology is so sensitive and complex, however, that BlackChili cannot be manufactured anywhere else in the world.
