I drove into something and this morning I found my tire had a hole and it was all mushy. Was this an acid or what? Or did I piss off an alien?
2007-07-31 12:10:54 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Although certian solvents will soften and/or dissolve rubber I find it hard to believe just driving through some spilled solvent could wreck a tire (the tire would have to soak in it hours or days to get all mushy). I wonder if you let the air get so low in the tire that it was almost driving on the rim, so the side walls were flexing a great deal; they will get very hot from this repeated flexing and break down the rubber until eventually it bursts (a blow out). Usually if this has happened there will be a ring of degraded rubber running around the middle of the side wall of the tire. I don't know for certian that's what happened just an idea.
Maybe the thing you drove through/into caused a leak that led to the low air condition?
2007-07-31 16:54:14 · answer #1 · answered by Flying Dragon 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Tires are usually made from a wide mixture of both natural and artificial rubbers. Often as many as 10 or 12 different rubbers are used in a single tire.
Most tire rubbers will not react with most mineral acids. Many organic solvents will soften one or more of the rubbers found in typical tires. This is often used in racing to get better traction.
It is possible that you encountered (drove through) a solvent that weakened the tire enough to create a hole.
2007-07-31 21:27:11 · answer #2 · answered by Richard 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Diesel fuel, and most petroleum products will dissolve artificial rubber.
2007-07-31 19:14:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋