Zeolite can be used as a new modified reinforcing agent in rubber manufacturing

As a traditional rubber manufacturing process, carbon black is often used as reinforcing agent, but the existence of carbon black is likely to cause problems such as complicated rubber production processes and higher costs, and also has a serious impact on the production environment. Therefore, the rubber industry urgently needs to find new green and reasonable cost reinforcing materials to replace the traditional reinforcing materials. In recent years, domestic and foreign technical institutions and enterprises have found that zeolite can be used as rubber reinforcing material in this field because of its unique physical structure and properties with better genes compared with carbon black.

At present, many experiments have proved that rubber products with zeolite can significantly reduce production costs, eliminate pollution sources in rubber, and meet the requirements of sustainable development in the market, so they have broad market prospects and social and economic benefits.

The dilemma of traditional rubber industry

Recently, the business research company's rubber products manufacturing global market briefing with the continuous development of industry, the current rubber tires, retreading, hoses, belts, sealants and other rubber products in the global market growth rate is accelerating to more than 5% per year, by the end of 2020 will reach 507 billion U.S. dollars (about 335.86 billion yuan).

In the rubber industry, the traditional rubber reinforcing agent is mainly carbon black type filler, but carbon black in the production and processing of serious pollution, easy to bring serious impact on the environment and personal health, in addition, due to the dependence on oil, carbon black resources are gradually decreasing, resulting in the rising cost of the rubber industry, so domestic and foreign rubber enterprises urgently need to find new reinforcing technology and reinforcing agent that can overcome the above shortcomings.

Zeolite can enhance rubber performance and govern the production environment

Researchers from the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Shenyang Institute of Chemical Technology have proved through experiments that by adding zeolite to rubber, the interfacial bond between rubber molecules and fillers can become a stronger chemical bond, thus improving the reinforcing effect. Moreover, in daily use, the abrasion of rubber is a complex mechanical process with many influencing factors. When zeolite is added, the physical adsorption between rubber and zeolite can be changed to a stable covalent bonding mode with the increase of coupling agent, which enhances the interfacial bonding between zeolite and rubber and therefore increases the abrasion of the compound system.

Adding zeolite as reinforcing agent to rubber functional materials by wet blending technology can effectively eliminate the source of dust pollution in rubber production. Moreover, tires made with zeolite reinforcement meet the requirements of the majority of consumers for high cost performance. Taking automobile tires as an example, rubber tire products with zeolite added can effectively reduce the fuel consumption of vehicles and reduce emissions, which can extend the service life and meet the requirements of national sustainable development. In short, compared with traditional tires, zeolite rubber tires have low fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions; low rolling resistance, long life, and low pollution in the production process.

In addition, in recent years, relevant institutions and researchers at home and abroad have studied the reinforcing effect of zeolite in rubber production, which can effectively improve the tensile strength, elongation at break and other mechanical properties of rubber products. Adding suitable amount of zeolite in rubber products can prevent rubber aging, extend the life of rubber, improve its wear resistance, be used in the production of rubber shoes to replace part of the silica, used in the midsole of sponge with anti-odor, anti-mildew effect, in the tape, tape, leather rollers, leather ring and other rubber products also have good results.

At present, with the improvement of people's living standards, the demand for rubber products, led by tires, etc., is huge. It is believed that with the support of the national policy of encouraging new technology innovation and increasing environmental protection, zeolite as a new modifier in rubber manufacturing will have a broad space for development in the future and bring more competitive advantages and economic benefits to more rubber enterprises.