i've been reading about winter tires having silica in the tire compound, but have not come across exactly how it benefits the tire performance.

so, what role does silica peform in a winter tire compound?

silica is used in a tires rubber compound to create a biting edge. It is harder than rubber and acts as a tiny little stud without the bad effects that studs create ... it is also used to enhance wet traction in summer tires but, they do not use nearly as much

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when I was young and foolish, around 1962 -- they had rubber retreads with lots of walnut shell fragments moulded in, and there was always a debate as to whether the traction advantage came from the edges of the shells themselves or from the tiny suction-cup holes they left after they fell out.