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TECHNOLOGY
Developing a Compound Solution
TCR’s goal has been to develop a green, innovative technology of reactive particulate crumb, which they call TC 1302. The research
2. Reactive surface treatment
3. Virgin uncured compound
4. During cure, the surface treatment reacts integrating particles into polymer matrix
5. End results: a fully cured and cross-linked polymer material.
Success in Non-Tyre Applications, Creating Green Shoes
Testing and trials were undertaken in the shoe and other rubber goods sectors. The results
were manufactured by a major shoe brand. The TC 1302 compound exceeded the virgin counterpart with replacement levels of 75 per cent. Savings with cure and energy reduction and mixing costs were also noted
challenge was to prove to the rubber industry that it could replace up to 50 per cent of a virgin compound with clean treated rubber crumb to produce a cost-efficient and much- improved product. Our research produced a chemical treatment system allowing crumb rubber to emulsify with a virgin compound, thus creating a new chemically active hybrid compound, which enhances crumb.
The research covered all rubber compound matrices. SBR, NR, Butadiene, EPDM, Nitrile and Butyl were the host compounds tested at great length.
Tyre compounds, both SBR and NR, became the main research products, with impressive results never achieved before.
TCR started its research with a 10 per cent replacement of the virgin-based compounds with the rubber crumb and TC 1302 formulation. We scaled up testing to 20, 30, 40 and 50 per cent replacement levels. The test concluded that compounds with 10 per cent TC 1302 physicals changed. However, when the increasing percentage levels were added to the virgin compound, the changes in physicals were very insignificant. Then again, some physicals increased, like hyperthiese, blowout time and abrasion resistance. (See Fifteen Benefits listed below.)
Tyres produced with TC 1302 delivered additional tyre life and greater fuel economy by lowering rolling resistance. Lower rolling resistance produced 3-5 per cent increased fuel savings and 14-19 per cent increased tyre life.
1. Base crumb particle
TC 1302 Offers Silica Performance, Without Silica
Extensive testing of TC1302 took place in the UK. When TC1302 was added to non-silica and silica based tyre compounds, the performance was enhanced in both formulations. The non- silica filled tyre’s performance was better than that of the silica
again showed that TC1302, a new compounding solution, now existed.
TC1302 now offers new markets for crumb rubber to be developed, creating sustainable new materials, while supporting the environmental challenge of creating added value markets, and new markets for rubber recycling companies.
while using the TC 1302 technology.
Fifteen Benefits of using TC1302:
(1) Faster, more complete cure (up to 30 per cent reduction in time, or use of lower temperature (2) Compression set improvement (inherent: 2 phase random packing, better cure)
(3) Blister elimination (can go far beyond the 5 per cent dosage limit of crumb rubber)
(4) Abrasion resistance: 15-30 per cent gains (proven in truck tread, conveyor belts, etc.)
(5) “Automatically forced” perfect distribution of mix (billions of spacers)
(6) Improved reversion resistance (beyond simple linear % dilution effect)
(7) Lower die swell (as 50 per cent + is fully densified already), reduced shrinkage
(8) Easier processing (lower hp/lb.), faster extrusion output at same power load
(9) Packing efficiency very high: up to 0.87 volume fraction: TC 1302 readily used at 50 to 87 per cent substitution level in the
base virgin compound (as %, not “phr”)
(10) Tan Delta is significantly reduced: cyclically stressed parts run cooler, rolling resistance often drops from 10 to 20 per cent (cooler tyres wear longer). Delta HBU drops while “blowout time” [BFG Flexometer] often doubles
(11) Useful contradiction: 300 per cent modulus goes up while wet traction also goes up; normally these important properties move in opposite
The surface polymerisation system results in a fully cured and cross-linked polymer
The tensile strength of the 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% mixes all exceeded control!
filled tyre. One can conclude that an alternative active compound solution now exists without control issues of blending silica in a master-batch production.
The shoe industry found that soles made with TC 1302 for hiking, running and general boot soles benefited the user with increased grip on wet surfaces and sideslip.
Over 3 million pairs of shoes
50 Retreading Business