Today’s Solutions: November 02, 2024

Big news from the building industry. Scientists in Australia have created a new kind of rubber material that can be recycled in an almost endless loop, which could lead to a whole array of new sustainable building materials.

The rubber polymer is made of sulfur and canola oil, and it has a unique chemical structure. The rubber doesn’t melt – instead, its sulfur bonds can be broken and reformed by applying pressure and gentle heat of about 100 °C (212 °F). This reaction is triggered while a powdered form of the polymer is in a mold. The team calls this process “reactive compression molding”.

This allows the material to be shaped into tubing, coatings, bumpers, insulation, and many other things you’d normally find made of rubber. But the important thing is that this isn’t the end of the story. Once these products have worn out or are no longer needed, they aren’t just thrown away – the rubber can be ground up into powder, placed back into a mold, and recycled into something new.

Not only does that save discarded things from going to waste after one use, but the team says that other filler materials can be mixed in with it to create new composites. And best of all, these can also be recycled down the track.

This isn’t the only novel form of rubber that the team has come up with. Just last week, some of the same researchers unveiled another new type of rubber that can heal damage at room temperature, when a catalyst is applied. Together, these kinds of advances could help make construction a more sustainable industry.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

This heartwarming Danish ad breaks down the ‘Us vs Them’ narrative

It’s rare that we publish a story about an advertisement, but then again it’s rare that an ad stirs so much emotion within its ...

Read More

NOAHs: Charlotte has a formula for long-lasting affordable housing

We recently shared how empty retail space could be the solution to California’s affordable housing crisis. Across the country in North Carolina, the city ...

Read More

A seat at the table for underrepresented communities

Climate change is already affecting all of us—however, those that bear the brunt of these consequences are predominantly from low-income, marginalized, BIPOC communities. So ...

Read More

Expanding democracy: Michigan opens new doors for formerly incarcerated voters

Malijah Gee's path from incarceration at the age of 17 to imminent freedom reflects the longing for a voice that has been suppressed for 36 years. ...

Read More