Quantcast
ZME Science
  • CoronavirusNEW
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Environment

‘Terminator’ rubber tires made from industrial waste can repair themselves on the go

The new rubber material is a 'latent adhesive' that doesn't become sticky unless you add a catalyst.

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
May 19, 2020
in Environment, Green Living, News
Credit: Pixabay.

Few things are as annoying as a flat tire with no spare in the trunk. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just snap your fingers and have the flat tire magically fix itself? Researchers in Australia and the UK have thought long and hard to develop tires with a novel composition that enables them to be repaired on the go.

No magic though — just good old chemistry

The tire is made of 50% sulfur mixed with canola cooking oil and a chemical called dicyclopentadiene (DCPD). All three main ingredients are byproducts of industrial activity and are generally discarded. For instance, DCPD is a waste product from petroleum refining.

However, what’s appealing about this new rubber material isn’t necessarily its environmental friendliness. Instead, where it shines is in its ability to self-repair in the presence of a catalyst.

A diagram of the new rubber polymer. Credit: Flinders University.

When an amine catalyst is applied to a flat tire, a chemical reaction is triggered that completely repairs the damage and returns the tire to its original strength within minutes — even at room temperature. Take that, super glue!

Essentially, the new rubber material is a “latent adhesive” that is resistant to water and corrosion. Once the catalyst is applied, the polymers in the rubber join together.

Get more science news like this...

Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

“The rubber bonds to itself when the amine catalyst is applied to the surface. The adhesion is stronger than many commercial glues,” said Dr. Tom Hasell, University of Liverpool researcher and co-author of the new study.

If the tire is torn to shreds beyond repair or has reached the end of its life cycle, it can be easily recycled, according to Justin Chalker of Flinders University.

“This study reveals a new concept in the repair, adhesion and recycling of sustainable rubber,” Chalker, who is the team lead for the new study, said in a statement.

Most rubbers, as well as ceramics and plastics, are not recyclable. In Australia alone, 48 million tires are discarded but only 16% are recycled — the rest flood landfills or are illegally dumped across the country or, even worse, in the ocean.

 “It is exciting to see how the underlying chemistry of these materials has such wide potential in recycling, next-generation adhesives, and additive manufacturing,” Chalker concluded.

The findings were reported in the journal Chemical Science.

Tags: recyclingtires
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines.

Follow ZME on social media

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.