Canned tire inflators are single-use devices intended to provide a quick, temporary solution to drivers who experience

flat tire A flat tire (British English: flat tyre) is a deflated Tire, pneumatic tire, which can cause the rim of the wheel to ride on the tire tread or the ground potentially resulting in loss of control of the vehicle or irreparable damage to the tire. T ...

s. These devices seal the punctured tire and then reinflate it with pressurized gas, providing enough pressure to allow the auto to be driven for a short period at low speed. This allows the motorist to have the damaged tire professionally repaired or replaced, avoiding the need to replace the wheel at the roadside. Canned tire inflators contain a pressurised fluid mixture of three components: *

solvent A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...

s, which make the sealants adhere to the rubber tire *

sealant Sealant is a substance used to block the passage of fluids through openings in materials, a type of Seal (mechanical), mechanical seal. In building construction ''sealant'' is sometimes synonymous with ''caulk'' (especially if acrylic latex or ...

s, which temporarily seal the puncture *

propellant A propellant (or propellent) is a mass that is expelled or expanded in such a way as to create a thrust or another motive force in accordance with Newton's third law of motion, and "propel" a vehicle, projectile, or fluid payload. In vehicle ...

s, which push the sealant from the can and into the tire and which inflate the tire. The sealants used in some systems can be removed with soap and water while wet, but require mineral spirits to dissolve them once they have solidified.

Current issues

*The biggest complaint by tire professionals regarding tire inflators is around removing the sealant from inside the tire. They believe that it is a difficult, time-involved process that may damage the tire. Some brands like Fix-A-Flat offer a water-soluble formulation that allows the product to be removed quickly and easily with a towel and water. *The gas used in some inflators contains

butane Butane () is an alkane with the formula C4H10. Butane exists as two isomers, ''n''-butane with connectivity and iso-butane with the formula . Both isomers are highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gases that quickly vaporize at ro ...

which is flammable and which may explode if exposed to high temperatures (either when in the can or in a re-inflated tire). Other inflators use a non-flammable formulation instead. *Also for safety reasons, the US National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has mandated that all 2008 vehicles sold in the US and manufactured on or after September 1, 2007 must be equipped with

tire pressure monitoring system A tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) monitors the air pressure inside the pneumatic tires on vehicles. A TPMS reports real-time tire-pressure information to the driver, using either a gauge, a pictogram display, or a simple low-pressure ...

s. Because many of these sensors are inside the tire, there was a concern about whether or not canned tire inflators and sealants would affect the sensors’ ability to correctly operate. Manufacturers have been working on finding solutions to this new legislation. *If a canned tire inflator is used on a tire mounted on a wheel with chrome plating, then it is very important to thoroughly clean the entire wheel and the inside of the tire in order to prevent chrome peel.

References

VRTC crash avoidance research, Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
, US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227082537/http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr102507.htm , date=2007-12-27 Automotive accessories Tire inflation