Following on from the opinion piece with Jeffrey Parks, MD of the Retread Tire Association, on the partnership between AirBoss and Tyromer Inc. to develop a tire-derived polymer recycled rubber product (read here), Chris Bitsakakis, chief operating officer and president of the rubber solutions division at AirBoss, reveals more on how the product will be used.
Why is AirBoss implementing the tire-derived polymer (TDP) and other recycled rubber compound options?
As a company certified under ISO 14001, we have a strong commitment to the environmental impact from our industry and want to provide alternatives to our customers. These products can also offer unique properties to the rubber compound that can yield benefits to the end consumer.
Has AirBoss been using any other recycled rubber compounds in applications or just TDP?
We have investigated several other technologies and have come to the conclusion the TDP is the best option for retaining the final properties of the compound. This collaboration will certainly provide value to other companies in the retread and other markets.
AirBoss has several projects in process to use TDP in markets outside of tires.
Currently you are using a 20% TDP in the mix. Do you see this as a standard or just a starting point that could increase?
The percentage used in a compound is relative to the application therefore just a starting point for development.
