Continental Trading Corp. supplies secondary tire cord, tyre cord, and steel cord sourced from North American producers at wholesale prices. Steel cord is the high-carbon, high-tensile steel wire product used to reinforce the belt and carcass layers of radial tires. It is the structural backbone of modern pneumatic tires, providing resistance to puncture, shape retention, and load-bearing capacity.
Our secondary tire cord is material that fell outside a specific customer order — typically due to adhesion coating variation, tensile tolerance, or overproduction. It is high carbon (C1070–C1090+) and very high tensile, typically brass or bronze coated to promote rubber adhesion. Buyers include tire manufacturers, rubber product producers, and specialty fabricators.
Tire Cord & Steel Cord — Properties & Specifications
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Carbon Grade | Very high carbon C1070–C1090+ |
| Tensile Strength | 2,600–3,400 MPa |
| Filament Diameter | 0.15mm – 0.40mm |
| Construction | Multiple — 1x1, 2+2, 3+9, 2+7, and others |
| Coating | Brass (Cu-Zn alloy) or bronze plated |
| Supply Form | Spools or palletised coils |
| Quality | Secondary / Second choice (non-prime) |
Who Buys Non-Prime Tire Cord & Steel Cord?
Tire cord buyers include tire manufacturers, rubber product producers, and specialty fabricators. Tire manufacturers in Asia — particularly in India, Indonesia, Thailand, and China — represent a significant market for second choice tire cord. These manufacturers often have incoming specification ranges that accommodate minor variation in brass coating weight, filament diameter tolerance, or tensile range. For a tire manufacturer producing standard passenger car or light commercial tires, the performance difference between prime and second choice cord is frequently within the acceptable range.
The rubber hose and belting industry is another important market. Flexible hose manufacturers use single-filament and multi-filament brass-plated wire to reinforce high-pressure hose constructions. The requirements for adhesion coating (brass plating) and tensile strength are present in second choice cord, even if the specific coating thickness or tensile value falls outside the prime order range.
A growing market for repurposed tire cord is shot blasting media manufacturing — chopped wire shot (CWS) producers who cut cord into short lengths and use it as abrasive blast media. For this application, the wire's tensile properties make it an excellent cutting medium, and second choice cord works identically to prime. BBQ brush manufacturers also use fine-diameter brass-plated cord as bristles. Contact us to discuss available lots.
Sourcing & Availability
Steel cord and tire cord are produced at highly specialized wire facilities — separate from standard carbon wire mills — that apply precision brass plating and perform multi-step twisting operations. The production process is complex, and second choice material arises from several sources: brass plating thickness that falls outside the prime tolerance, filament diameter variation, cord construction deviation, or overproduction against a specific order.
Continental Trading Corp. has sourced tire cord and steel cord from North American cord producers for decades. Availability varies — cord is produced in shorter runs than commodity wire products, and second choice lots tend to be smaller. When available, we offer a range of constructions and cord diameters. All lots are described with the specific downgrading reason before any offer is made.
Tire cord ships on palletised spools and is handled carefully to maintain package integrity. Buyers in Asia and the Middle East receive offers via email when matching inventory is available. Register your interest with target construction, diameter, and quantity.
Constructions & Coatings
Steel cord is produced in a wide range of twisted constructions — common examples include 1x1, 2+2, 3+9, 2+7x0.22, and many others. The construction determines the cord's flexibility, fatigue life, and adhesion surface area. The brass (Cu-Zn alloy) or bronze plating on each filament promotes chemical bonding to the rubber compound during vulcanization. Cord diameter and tenacity are specified precisely for each tire application.
Alternative Uses for Secondary Tire Cord
Beyond tire manufacturing, our customers have successfully repurposed secondary steel cord for BBQ brush bristles, shot blasting media (chopped wire shot), wire reinforcement in flexible hoses and belts, and specialty industrial brush production. Because steel cord is very high tensile and fine diameter, it opens up a range of specialty applications. Tell us your intended use and we will advise on suitability of available lots. Contact us to inquire.
