What is the melting point temperature of tires?
2 Answers
The normal operating temperature of tires ranges between 90 to 110 degrees Celsius. Here are some relevant extended information: 1. Tire pressure: Tire temperature is determined by driving conditions and weather conditions. Generally, maintaining tire pressure between 2.4-2.6 is normal, and it is recommended to check tire pressure once a week. 2. Nitrogen inflation: In summer, road surface temperatures often exceed 70°C. For vehicles driving for long periods in hot summer conditions, tires with damage or weak spots are prone to blowouts due to excessive tire pressure. Affected by temperature, the gas inside tires automatically expands, causing tire pressure to rise from 2.3 kg to over 3 kg. To ensure proper tire pressure, it is recommended to fill tires with nitrogen in summer, and the filling pressure should be reduced by 10%.
When it comes to the melting point of tires, it's not as simple as giving a single temperature number, because tires aren't made of a single material. I once heard from an experienced mechanic that tires are mainly composed of rubber compounds, along with added materials like nylon and steel wires. Ordinary rubber starts to soften at around 140 degrees Celsius, but we never reach that temperature during normal driving. Even after hours of highway driving in summer, the tread temperature usually peaks at just 80-90 degrees. To actually melt an entire tire, you'd need temperatures above 200 degrees, but by that point the tire would have already started burning and smoking - a situation that simply doesn't occur in normal driving conditions. What tires really fear is sudden high temperatures, like localized overheating from hard braking, which can cause tread separation or even blowouts. So for everyday driving, paying attention to tire pressure and wear patterns is far more practical than worrying about melting.
