Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), a widely used polymer used in tire formulations, experiences complex thermomechanical processes during tire-pavement contact. At the micro-scale, the hardness of the road generates by abrasion particles from the tire. One part of those particles is released into the environment, resuspended in the air, or carried by fluvial ways. The other part of these particles remains adhered to the road surface. Furthermore, at the macro scale, the tire slightly deforms due to hysteresis. Elastic rubber properties store energy with this deformation, and viscoelastic rubber properties release this energy as heat. 

The aim of this work is to analyze the heat responses of the rubber tire by heat application on a tire-pavement wear tester. Hardness of rubber tire was monitored at room temperature and 40 °C after the experiments. Heat distribution was observed by means of a thermal camera heat on the tire rubber texture. Experiments set a load of 3000 N, rolling distance of 28.8 Km, and tire inflation pressure of 32 psi. The results provide insight into the thermo-mechanical behavior of SBR under real-like loading conditions, highlighting the interplay between heat generation, viscoelasticity, and hardness variation in this polymer.