CT Logo

Vulkanox 4060 uses CCPD to deliver comparable aging protection while addressing environmental and regulatory concerns

LANXESS has developed Vulkanox 4060, a new anti-aging agent for the tire industry designed as an alternative to 6PPD, a widely used additive that protects tires against degradation caused by oxygen and ozone.

The new product contains CCPD (N,N'-Dicyclohexyl-p-phenylenediamine) and has been developed in response to growing environmental and regulatory scrutiny surrounding 6PPD and its transformation product, 6PPD quinone.

6PPD quinone has been associated with acute toxicity concerns for certain aquatic organisms, including reported links to coho salmon mortality in the United States. According to LANXESS, environmental studies conducted to date found that CCPD quinone, the corresponding transformation product of Vulkanox 4060, showed no observed acute effects in coho salmon testing up to the solubility limit.

EU REACH Registration Completed

LANXESS has completed the EU REACH registration under Annex VII for Vulkanox 4060, enabling the product to be offered for use in the European market.

“Vulkanox 4060 is LANXESS’s response to a specific ecotoxicological and regulatory challenge the tire industry is facing,” said Holger Graf, Head of the Functional Tire Additives Business Line at LANXESS.

According to Graf, testing conducted by LANXESS and its customers indicates that CCPD can match the technical performance of 6PPD while offering an improved environmental profile. The company has planned initial commercial production for the fourth quarter of 2026, with customer interest particularly strong in the United States and Europe.

Focus on Sustainable Product Development

Vulkanox 4060 has been developed in line with LANXESS' focus on the “Safe and Sustainable by Design” approach. The company said environmental considerations were incorporated into the selection and development of CCPD, including factors such as degradability, bioaccumulation, aquatic toxicity and regulatory requirements.

The development comes as tire manufacturers face increasing pressure to evaluate the environmental impact of materials used throughout the tire lifecycle and to prepare for evolving regulatory requirements.

By offering an alternative anti-aging agent, LANXESS aims to support tire manufacturers in developing products and supply chains that can respond to changing environmental expectations while maintaining the performance requirements of modern tires.

The company said Vulkanox 4060 represents another step in its ongoing efforts to develop tire additives that combine technical performance with improved environmental characteristics.