Visualizing Puncture Wounds in Tires

A tire puncture in a tubeless pneumatic tire occurs when air from the internal cavity of the tire is allowed to exit through a hole or other damage to the tire. Depending on the location on the tire, depth of the penetration, and the size of the penetrating object, the amount of damage can range from relatively small and easily repaired to full destruction of the tire. From a practical standpoint, this behavior is understood in terms of the end result: an otherwise compromised tire. However, the impact on the localized components of the tire is less documented. In this study, several exemplar tire tread sections were subjected to penetrating objects. After the liner was pierced, X-ray radiography and CT scanning was conducted to document the characteristics of the resulting damage on the tire treads.