The substitution of petrochemical supplies with these obtained from renewable uncooked supplies is a crucial step in the direction of rising sustainability. Supplies derived from plant cellulose are promising candidates for this software space. They’re renewable, ample and have a low environmental affect. Within the rubber trade, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is receiving loads of consideration because of its excessive stiffness, the morphology of its fibrils, its low density and its mechanical properties. Thus, it has a excessive potential to enhance the properties of rubber compounds.
Nonetheless, it’s a problem to mix MFC with hydrophobic, i.e. water-repellent, rubbers. Along with its improvement companion Empa, Daetwyler has developed an industrial course of for the floor modification of MFC to resolve this problem. Preliminary trials concerned changing petrochemical aramid fibers with modified MFCs.
The outcomes present good compatibility between the MFC filler and the rubber matrix with sturdy reinforcing results, even higher than these achieved with standard petroleum-based aramid fibers. The event of those novel fillers shall be an essential step in the direction of rising the sustainability of rubber merchandise reminiscent of pump diaphragms.
Two years from analysis to trade implementation
In simply two years of intensive and open collaboration between Empa and the Datwyler Schweiz AG as a part of an Innosuisse mission, a course of was efficiently developed that introduced collectively the worlds of cellulose and rubbers. On this brief time, it was attainable to cowl the whole arc from analysis to industrial implementation.
“This mission is an excellent instance of how priceless Innosuisse’s help is for such profitable innovation tasks, which not solely strengthen and economically advance the businesses themselves by way of novel merchandise and processes, however finally additionally the whole location of Switzerland,” says Empa researcher Thomas Geiger.
Ming Liu et al, Manufacturing of microfibrillated cellulose fibers and their software in polymeric composites, Nanotechnology in Paper and Wooden Engineering (2022). DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-323-85835-9.00003-9
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Renewable cellulose-based fillers have potential to extend sustainability of rubber merchandise (2022, October 19)
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