Abstract
Natural and synthetic rubber is gaining increased interest in various industrial applications and daily life sectors (automotive industry, acoustic and electrical isolators, adhesives, impermeable surfaces, and others) due to its remarkable physicomechanical properties, excellent durability, and abrasive resistance. These great characteristics are accompanied by some recycling difficulties of the final products, particularly originated from the tire waste rubber industry. In this study, recycled tire rubber was incorporated in polymer matrices using selective laser sintering as 3D printing technology. Two polymers were used-polyamide and thermoplastic polyurethane, for their rigid and elastomeric properties, respectively. Polymer composites containing various tire powder amounts, up to 40 wt.%, were prepared by physical blending. The final materials’ morphological characteristics, mechanical properties, and thermal stability were evaluated. The proposed ambitious additive manufacturing approach looked over also some of the major aspects to be considered during the 3D printing procedure. In addition, examples of printed prototypes with potential applications were also proposed revealing the potential of the recycled tire rubber-loaded composites.
Highlights
IntroductionThe science and engineering of polymer materials have been greatly impacted by the development of the radically induced vulcanization process by Charles Goodyear in 1844 [1], allowing the fabrication of crosslinked elastomeric products between sulfurcontaining compounds
We proposed a one-step approach to develop tire rubber (TR)-loaded polymer materials, such as PA12 and thermoplastic urethane (TPU), using selective laser sintering (SLS) as a flexible additive manufacturing technology
Going further in the feasibility of the printing process and the valorization of the recycled TR powder, we explored the interest of TR incorporation in the TPU polymer matrix for its soft and elastomeric characteristics
Summary
The science and engineering of polymer materials have been greatly impacted by the development of the radically induced vulcanization process by Charles Goodyear in 1844 [1], allowing the fabrication of crosslinked elastomeric products between sulfurcontaining compounds. The rubber properties can be further reinforced by the incorporation of various additives (stabilizers, antioxidants, and antiozonants), leading to highly resistant materials in terms of photochemical decomposition, thermal degradation, or biodegradation [4,5,6] In this meaning, the main concern is relative to the increased risk of soil and water contamination with metals and numerous additives, as well as air pollution with toxic gases released from difficult to quench tire fires
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