The massive industrial waste discharged into the environment adversely affects the ecological system. Traditional methods like landfilling or other disposal methods can no longer be adequate to handle them, and their reutilization is consequently gaining popularity. Most chemical industries generate a large amount of sodium sulfate waste (SSW), contaminating air and water. Hence, its reutilization in natural rubber (NR) as a reinforcing filler is explored. SSW generated in Ultramarine and Pigments Ltd., Chennai, India, was procured and characterized. The fabricated NR-SSW composite's cure, mechanical, and sorption features have been investigated. NR composite with 7.5 phr (parts per hundred of rubber) SSW showed a 9 %, 14 % and 29 % increase in tensile strength, tear strength, and modulus at 300 % elongation, respectively, and a remarkable decrease in abrasion loss and higher abrasion resistance index (ARI) as compared to NR-Neat. All these properties decreased beyond 7.5 phr SSW addition, proving its better adhesion on NR up to 7.5 phr loading. The experimental tensile strength showed a good correlation with Turcsányi-Pukànszky-Tüdõs (T-P-T) model, confirming the better matrix-filler interaction up to 7.5 phr SSW loading. Sorption studies proved the better barrier properties of NR-SSW7.5 composite compared to NR-Neat. Various kinetic parameters were studied, and a suitable transportation method was suggested. NR-SSW7.5 composite, having remarkable mechanical and barrier properties, finds application in various rubber products manufacture. The reutilization of SSW as an efficient filler in NR is an innovative attempt from a circular economy perspective, as it reduces production costs and environmental pollution.
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