Each time you go to a tyre shop or a gas station to top up the tyre pressure in your vehicle’s tyres, what the attendant fills into the tyre is normal compressed air. But what exactly does compressed air contain? Compressed air is made up of 78% nitrogen, about 20-21% oxygen, and the balance one percent consists of CO2, and tiny concentrations of gases such as neon, argon and water vapour.

 When you specifically fill nitrogen gas into the vehicle's tyres, then you should have 100% dry nitrogen in your tyre. Dry nitrogen denotes that no        moisture content or any other gases are present in the tyre.

 Jay Chakraborty, who recently bought a second hand car, says, “After I bought my car, I changed the tyres and I’ve heard so many people talk about  how good nitrogen has been for them that I decided to get my new tyres filled with nitrogen air. The car feels a lot better on bumpy roads, and I don’t  have to worry about checking tyre pressure every week.”

Benefits of nitrogen Vs compressed air

Nitrogen as a gas is made up of big molecules, whereas oxygen molecules are much smaller in size compared to nitrogen molecules. When compressed air is put into a vehicle’s tyres, the moisture in the tyre seeps through the rubber over time and evaporates quicker as its molecules are smaller in size. But as nitrogen molecules are bigger in size, they do not permeate the tyres rubber so easily and hence will stay in the tyre for a longer duration. This means that your vehicle’s tyres will lose less pressure over time compared to regular compressed air filled tyres.

For example: An inactive vehicle, whose tyres are filled with normal compressed air will lose tyre pressure every week. But a 100% nitrogen-filled tyre will lose tyre pressure a lot slower and won’t need to be topped up as frequently. 

Titus Remedios, “I filled nitrogen in the new tyres that  I purchased for my Maruti Ecco in June 2019. That time the tyre pressure filled with nitrogen was 35Psi. I use the car once a week and after the lockdown, the car hadn’t been used in months. I recently went back in October 2020 to the place where I had filled the nitrogen in the car tyres and the tyre pressure after 14 months had only dropped to 22Psi. .

Another point to note, nitrogen filled tyres get a green or blue colour valve cap. This is a universal symbol that your vehicle's tyres are filled with nitrogen and not compressed air.

Is Nitrogen right for you?

Over-inflation and under inflation of tyres make a major difference on the race track. But on your normal city road does it make a huge difference? Under-inflated tyres normally lead to less mileage, uneven wear on the tyre treads and more tyre wear and tear overall. Over inflated tyres run the risk of burning out the contact patch on the tyre too quickly, while adding more bounce vs grip to a vehicle's stability. In hot climate conditions, your vehicle's tyre pressure can jump up tremendously. Highway running speeds coupled with a harsh sun beating down, can lead to a  tear in the tyre or in extreme conditions, a tyre bursting. This is where nitrogen-filled tyres shine the most. Due to their molecular build, nitrogen molecules stay at a constant temperature in a tyre. So even if the temperature outside decreases or increases, the nirotgen in the tyre will remain the same. That is why race cars and racing motorcycles only use 100% nitrogen in their tyres all the time.

Now we are all not professional racers, but we do commute on a daily basis and even go for the occasional weekend drive out of the city for some sightseeing and relaxation. Will filling nitrogen in your vehicle's tyre help you? There are many who swear by nitrogen-filled tyres and an equal amount who feel that regular compressed air works just fine.

Personal tyre maintenance

If you are someone who keeps a check on the vehicles tyre pressure weekly and tops up the air when needed, you won’t need nitrogen filled into your vehicles tyre. However, if you are someone who tops air pressure once a month or once in two months, then filling nitrogen in your vehicle's tyres will help you reap the benefits of it. If you constantly make long highway trips and most of your time is spent behind the wheel, then filling nitrogen in your vehicle's tyres will be a boon.

Yash Ramrakhyani from Palghar runs a big tyre shop which sells Apollo, Bridgestone, Continental, Michelin and Yokohama tyres for every vehicle from a scooter to a heavy duty tempo. He says, “I get an average of 300 customers a year who want nitrogen filled in their vehicle’s tyres. There was a big local demand in the area for nitrogen-filled tyres, hence my father and me invested in the nitrogen unit. Tyres don't get hot, and nitrogen level doesn't go down so fast is what I have heard from customers as feedback, but the fact that people think nitrogen levels in the tyre doesn't go down is false. Even nitrogen-filled tyres have to be checked for tyre pressure once a month.

Nitrogen myths busted

Myth 1: Your vehicle's mileage will increase.

Truth: Your vehicle’s mileage depends on a lot of factors, tyres being just one small part of that equation. Having nitrogen filled tyres only gives you the benefit of having a most constant tyre pressure. However compressed air and nitrogen filled tyres both will loose pressure after a certain amount of time.

Myth 2: Your vehicle's comfort will be better, it will be soft on bumps.

Truth: Compressed air or nitrogen filled tyres will react the same way when on bumpy roads. It is the rubber compound and the type of tyres that you have that will make a difference in the ride or drive quality. As long as you maintain the right air pressure in your vehicle's tyres, you’ll be good.

Myth 3: You won’t have to fill up the tyre pressure as frequently.

Truth: Well this is true. Nitrogen-filled tyres will retain the pressure in your vehicle's tyre for a longer time duration compared to tyres filled with compressed air. However, even nitrogen-filled tyres loose pressure over time and you have to get the pressure checked and topped up from time to time.

Myth 4: Your vehicle's tyre will last longer

Truth: The tyre on your vehicle rely on you to make sure you maintain the recommended air pressure inorder for it to do its job properly. Under inflated and over inflated tyres will wear out faster when compared to tyres that have been properly maintained.

Myth 5: The rims on your vehicle won't rust

Truth: There is some amount of truth in this. As nitrogen-filled tyres contain less or no water vapour, the moisture content in the tyre is less. Less moisture equals to less rust on the inside of the wheel. But that doesn’t stop the rest of the wheel from rusting due to everyday washing and climate conditions.

Myth 6: There are few tyre shops / fuel pumps that offer nitrogen.

Truth: Compressed air is mostly nitrogen gas. So even if you have nitrogen-filled tyres, but you’re running low on tyre pressure and there’s no nitrogen filling station around, you can still fill normal compressed air. It will not have any major impact on your vehicle's tyres. Maintaining the right tyre pressure is key.

The catch

The nitrogen that you get filled in your vehicle's tyres is not a 100% or even 99% pure nitrogen. A brand new or even an old tyre once deflated has some amount of air inside it. It is the atmospheric air that's already there all around us. So unless you drain all the air in the tyre out and refill it nitrogen and drain the tyre again 2-3 times, you’ll still be running your vehicle's tyres with 90% nitrogen and not 100% nitrogen. But even then you’re not guaranteed that your vehicle's tyres will be filled with 100% pure nitrogen. There is no way to measure how much nitrogen is there in your vehicle’s tyre. Nitrogen will cost you, whereas compressed air is free at most petrol pumps or Rs.1-2 at a tyre shop. Nitrogen costs on the other hand vary from place to place and the kind of machine they have. The machines that are at the tyre shops or petrol pumps that offer nitrogen, do not deliver pure 100% nitrogen! Some machines will have a percentage rating of how much nitrogen it provides to the tyre and some have no percentage levels at all. Filling nitrogen in your vehicle's tyres can cost you anywhere from Rs.150 for four tyres to Rs.50 per tyre and can go all the way up to Rs.1,500 for a set of four tyres.

Conclusion

Have you ever noticed that vehicle manufactureres never recommend nitrogen in their manuals or at their service centers. The reason behind this is your vehicle's tyres are manufactured to run on normal compressed air. As long as you maintain the right tyre pressure in your vehicle’s tyre, you’ll be fine.

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) has gained a new technology partner, AKIN Solutions, which is pioneering advanced material recycling methods for end-of-life tyres through its developing platform known as Rubber BioRefine. This biotechnology-driven system applies enzymatic processes originally refined in the plastics industry to rubber recycling for the first time, marking a significant step forward in the tyre circular economy. The central innovation focuses on converting previously hard-to-recycle tyre components into high-quality raw materials that match the quality of primary resources, thereby addressing a long-standing challenge in waste tire management.

At the core of the Rubber BioRefine approach is the selective cleavage of rubber polymer chains at the molecular level, which produces defined polymer fragments while preserving their structural integrity. Unlike conventional mechanical recycling methods that typically lead to a reduction in material value, this enzymatic technique enables a much higher grade of material reuse. It opens new possibilities for demanding rubber applications. The technology is specifically designed to integrate with existing recycling systems, particularly in combination with devulcanisation processes.

Another essential element of the platform is high-resolution molecular imaging using MALDI-MSI, a technique that allows AKIN Solutions to analyse the composition of rubber samples and create precise spatial maps of the compounds present. For the first time, this provides detailed insights into which substances exist in specific areas and at what concentrations, enabling more targeted assessment of material flows. Such precision is a key prerequisite for significantly more efficient recycling processes and for achieving high-quality circular economy management.

The technology remains in the development phase, with the ultimate goal of achieving industrial scalability and enabling large-scale economic application. Through this innovative combination of precise molecular analysis and enzymatic recovery, AKIN Solutions aims to fundamentally improve the material recycling of scrap tyres, reduce waste and emissions and help close material cycles. The partnership with AZuR is expected to strengthen the creation of future-proof, sustainable solutions for the entire tyre recycling value chain.

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Tyrecycle Chief Executive Officer Jim Fairweather has called for mandatory market-based regulation and increased government procurement ahead of his appearance at a parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s tyre industry. His formal submission to the Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science sets an uncompromising objective of eliminating tyre dumping nationwide. Fairweather argues that collection schemes alone are insufficient without creating genuine demand for recycled materials.

The inquiry, conducted by the Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science, was adopted on 5 November 2025, following referrals from the Ministers for Industry and Science. Its mandate includes investigating industry challenges and opportunities within a circular economy framework. Fairweather has identified significant market failures, noting that a large portion of Australia’s tyre waste remains buried or abandoned. He argues that extended producer responsibility schemes do not automatically create markets, as effective disposal methods do not necessarily follow collection efforts.

A central focus of Tyrecycle’s submission is the disparity between tyre sectors. While passenger and truck tyres achieve a 96 percent collection rate, off the road or mining tyres represent nearly 30 percent of total waste by weight, yet the recovery rate stood at just 13 percent in 2023 and 2024. Fairweather insists that national waste targets cannot be reached without addressing off the road tyres; he has labelled the practice of landfilling and in pit disposal at mines as a major regulatory barrier.

To bridge this gap, Tyrecycle has proposed targeted landfill bans to redirect mining and agricultural tyres towards recyclers. The company also calls for increased government procurement of crumb rubber for road construction, noting that mandating higher recycled content in asphalt specifications could expand the domestic market fivefold. Australia’s road sector already consumes about 30,000 tonnes of crumb rubber annually, while Tyrecycle is advancing a pipeline of over 100,000 tonnes per year in domestic tyre derived fuel.

Tyrecycle, which processes roughly 20 million equivalent passenger units annually or about 40 percent of Australia’s collected waste tyres, has invested more than 50 million dollars in capital upgrades. This includes 12.8-million-dollar push into the off the road market in Port Hedland, along with developments in Rockingham, Newcastle and Erskine Park. Fairweather is also urging the federal government to allocate more budget for enforcing export regulations to combat rogue operators who export non-compliant materials. He presented Tyrecycle’s formal submission to the parliamentary inquiry in March, framing the circular economy as a shared responsibility requiring accountability from all waste generators.

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Pirelli has announced a more aggressive tyre strategy for the second appearance of the FIM Superbike World Championship round at Balaton Park in Hungary. Following a conservative approach in 2025 due to a lack of track data, the manufacturer now introduces the supersoft SCX compound for the first time to WorldSBK riders. Last year’s lineup featured the SC0 and the E0125 development tyre, which has since become the current SC0 for 2026.

For the long races this season, riders will have access to the supersoft SCX alongside the soft SC0 rear tyres. The extrasoft SCQ, the softest rear compound, returns for free practice, qualifying, and the Superpole Race. Front tyre options include soft SC1 and medium SC2, while DIABLO Wet intermediates and DIABLO Rain tyres are available for wet conditions.

In the WorldSSP category, the same SC1 and SC2 front and SCX with SC0 rear compounds from 2025 remain. The WorldWCR women’s championship will also compete, using Pirelli DIABLO Superbike tyres with the SC1 compound on both axles.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “The data collected last year showed that Balaton Park is a track with low tyre-wear values. For this reason, we decided to make the softest range solutions available to WorldSBK riders, including the supersoft SCX in the allocation, which was not present last year. Riders will, in any case, also be able to count on the soft SC0 which, in 2025 as the E0125 specification, was the race reference. This could be a valid alternative, especially in the event of lower temperatures.

“For the first time this season, the extrasoft SCQ returns to centre stage for qualifying and the Superpole Race. Last year, this solution was used only in qualifying due to unfavourable weather conditions in the Superpole Race, so it will be interesting to see whether anyone uses it in the short race this year. All solutions, as well as the soft SC1 and medium SC2 fronts, are range products– i.e. they can be purchased by any motorcyclist worldwide and used both in competitions at any level and for track days.”

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Linglong Tire is set to make a major appearance at THE TIRE COLOGNE, the world’s leading tire trade fair, taking place from 9 to 11 June 2026. Located in Hall 7 at booths C-050 to D-059, the company will present its group brands Crosswind, Leao and Green Max alongside its main brand.

Making its European debut at the fair is the new Linglong UHP tyre, the Sport Master II, which is designed as the successor to the existing Sport Master model and is expected to reach retail markets in spring 2027. In addition to this launch, the company will exhibit leading passenger car profiles from its Masters series, a sustainable concept tyre and fresh off-the-road patterns. The truck segment will see four new tread designs premiere in Cologne, including a trailer tyre engineered for reduced rolling resistance on long-haul routes and two brand-new bus tyres intended for city buses and coaches.

The exhibition includes Linglong’s latest original equipment tyres, while the Green Max brand is being introduced as an independent brand for the European market. Visitors will also see new car and truck profiles from the Crosswind and Leao brands, now produced exclusively in Europe, including the first appearance of the Crosswind Dura Peak Van tyre.

Beyond product displays, Linglong’s presence emphasises personal customer engagement at its booth and lounge, where the European and international sales team looks forward to welcoming global visitors for discussions. Organised by Koelnmesse and the German Tyre Trade Association, the fair features around 350 exhibitors from 32 countries and expects roughly 15,000 trade visitors from over 110 nations.

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