There eraser It is an indispensable material in numerous industrial sectors, but once it reaches the end of life, it turns into a difficult waste to manage. According to the data of the World Bankrubber waste abandoned in landfills release toxic substances that contaminate the soil and the underground waters. Even more serious is the impact of combustion or incineration of these materials, which he enters the atmosphere dangerous pollutants. For this reason, it is essential to invest in Efficient and sustainable recycling techniques.
In the United States, a team of researchers from theNorth Carolina University at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) has developed a new method to transform the used rubberin particular that coming from tiresin functional materials reusable in the production of epoxy resins.
The new method, developed by the team led by Doctor Aleksandr Zhukhovitskiyis based on two main phases: widen that And REARRANCE OF THE POLIMERIC STRUCTURE. This combination allows you to break down the intricate molecular rubber network, making it soluble and functionalized with amino groups.
A key feature of this process is its efficiency a temperatures contained between 35 and 50 ° Cwell lower than traditional procedures that require extreme heat or expensive catalysts. According to the researchers, this approach is cheaper and more ecological Compared to techniques such as the devulcanization or the split of the polymerwhich tend to weaken the material or generate by -products of little value.
A concrete alternative to Pyrolysis for the recycling of post-consuming rubber
Recycling technologies currently in use, such as the pyrolysisinvolve serious health and environment risks. During these processes, in fact, highly toxic substances are produced, including benzene And dioxins. UN scientists instead propose a safer and more versatile alternative.
«Our research aims to overcome the limits of existing technologies, offering a system capable of completely decompose the used rubbereven when it comes to complex mixtures, “explained Dr. Zhukhovitskiy. In a laboratory test, his team managed to totally decompose used in six hoursgetting Materials ready for new uses.
These materials can be transformed into epoxy resins of high quality, used in numerous industrial areas, by protective coatings to industrial stickers up to high performance composites. The researchers underline that the resins obtained with this technique are equivalent in resistance and reliability to those produced with conventional methods.
To evaluate the environmental impact of the new method, scientists have used the factor andan indicator of the efficiency and sustainability of a chemical process. The results show that this technique allows you to obtain High value added materials starting from post-consumption rubberwhile reducing dependence on landfills.
Second Sydney Towellco -author of the study, this discovery represents an important step forward towards a more sustainable model:
By exploiting the amination that the molecular rearrangement, we can convert the waste in useful resourcesreducing the environmental impact significantly.
The team also provides for further improve the processstudying more ecological solvents systemswith the aim of making it even more respectful of the environment. The technique is candidate as well as one concrete, scalable and industrialized solution For the growing problem of rubber waste, offering new perspectives with a circular economy perspective.
