dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Social Links
  • zedreviews.com
  • citi.io
  • aster.cloud
  • liwaiwai.com
  • guzz.co.uk
  • atinatin.com
0 Likes
0 Followers
0 Subscribers
dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
  • Technology

The World’s First Aerogels Made From Scrap Rubber Tyres

  • March 19, 2020
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

A team of NUS researchers has achieved a major technological breakthrough by converting waste rubber tyres into super-light aerogels that have a wide range of applications. This is the first time that aerogels are made from waste rubber tyres. The new rubber aerogels demonstrate remarkable properties — they are extremely light, highly absorbent, very durable, and they are also very efficient at trapping heat and sound.

A team of NUS researchers led by Assoc Prof Duong Hai-Minh (front row, first from left) and Prof Nhan Phan-Thien (front row, centre), developed the world’s first aerogels made from scrap rubber tyres

By upcycling waste rubber into products of a higher commercial value, this new technology promotes a wider use of scrap tyres, and offers an eco-friendly way to recycle used rubber. This novel technology was published in the print version of scientific journal Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects in September 2019, and a patent has been filed.

To boost the research efforts of the team and raise public awareness of recycling, Mapletree Investments, a leading real estate developer with a strong focus on environmental sustainability, has recently made a gift of S$155,000 to NUS.

Scrap tyres — A significant waste problem

Every year, about 1 billion scrap tyres are generated worldwide. Rubber tyres are highly durable and non-biodegradable. Only 40 per cent are recycled into low-value-added products, while 49 per cent are incinerated to generate energy, and at least 11 per cent end up in landfills. Although landfills are commonly practised, landfills sites are running out and there is also a risk of the consequential leachate causing environmental pollution. Furthermore, burning rubber produces toxic substances that pose health and safety concerns.

“Although 40 per cent of waste rubber tyres are recycled, the rate of recycling worldwide remains low because processing used rubber is costly and energy-intensive, coupled with a lack of monetary incentive. Our team has decided to focus on creating rubber aerogels from used rubber tyres because they are a cheap and abundant source of raw materials. By converting waste rubber tyres into high-value aerogels, we could enhance the monetary incentive for recycling rubber and in turn, cut down rubber waste,” explained Associate Professor Duong Hai-Minh, who leads the research team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NUS Engineering.

Mr Edmund Cheng, Mapletree Chairman, said, “Mapletree has always placed great emphasis on integrating sustainable designs into our developments. This project which aims to turn rubber waste into aerogel materials via green technology is aligned to our commitment to reduce negative environmental impact. We are excited that part of the support will also fund the refurbished lab facility for applied research and education on the potential of recycling technology. It is our hope that through education, one of our key corporate social responsibility pillars, there will be more awareness on environmental issues.”

Simple, cost-effective and eco-friendly production process 

To create the rubber aerogels, recycled car tyre fibres are first blended into finer fibres. These fine rubber fibres are then soaked in water and very small amount of chemical cross-linkers. Next, the mixture of rubber fibres and eco-friendly solvents is dispersed uniformly using a stirrer for 20 minutes. The uniform suspension gel is then freeze-dried at minus 50 degrees Celsius for up to 12 hours to produce rubber aerogels.

Assoc Prof Duong said, “The fabrication process is simple, cost-effective and eco-friendly. The entire production process takes between 12 to 13 hours to complete and it only cost less than S$10 to produce a sheet of rubber aerogel that is 1 sqm in size and 1cm thick. The process can also be easily scaled up for mass production. This makes rubber aerogels a commercially attractive product.”

Highly versatile rubber aerogels 

The novel rubber aerogels created by the NUS team possess remarkable properties for many applications:

  • Extremely light and stiffer than commercial foam
  • Highly porous: This makes rubber aerogels good absorbents for removal of spilled oil. They are two times more absorbent than conventional absorbents such as the polypropylene mat.
  • Excellent sound absorption: Rubber aerogels are 27 per cent more effective than the commercial foam absorber with the same thickness.
  • Excellent heat insulation: Rubber aerogels have high heat resistance. A piece of rubber aerogel with a thickness of one inch (2.54 cm) has a heat transfer limit that is equivalent to 25 standard glass window panes.
  • Highly durable: Most aerogels are extremely brittle and friable (i.e. they tend to fragment and pulverise), but rubber aerogels can spring back to its original shape after compression. This unique property makes them suitable as insulation material for industrial purposes such as in subsea systems, oil refineries and industrial buildings, and also in homes, refrigerators, as well as personal items such as jackets and shoe insoles.
  • When coated with a chemical called methoxytrimethylsilane, the rubber aerogels become extremely water-repellent and they can be used to prevent moisture from corroding or damaging insulation equipment.

“Potential markets of aerogels are huge. For example, vehicle noise and thermal comfort are vital in vehicle designs — the global automotive heat and sound insulation solution markets are expected to reach US$3.2 billion by 2022. In addition, the global oil spill management market is expected to reach US$182.7 billion by 2025,” added Professor Nhan Phan-Thien, who is a senior member in the research team.

Commercialisation and new applications

Assoc Prof Duong, Prof Nhan and their team are looking forward to realising the positive environmental impact of aerogels by working with Mapletree and industry partners to commercialise and scale up this novel technology. With the generous contribution from Mapletree, the NUS team will be able to conduct further studies to enhance the performance of the rubber aerogels, explore other applications as well as using other types of waste materials to convert into aerogels.

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • Aerogels
  • Engineering
  • National University of Singapore
  • NUS
  • Rubber tyres
dotlah.com

Previous Article
  • Lah!

CapitaLand Staff Volunteers To Put In 6,000 Hours Towards Community Distribution Of Free Hand Sanitiser At 16 Malls In Singapore in support of Temasek Foundation’s Stay Prepared initiative

  • March 19, 2020
View Post
Next Article
  • Lah!

LTA Awards Civil Contract To Construct Three Stations For The Jurong Region Line

  • March 19, 2020
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Gears
  • Technology

Apple Vision Pro upgraded with the powerful M5 chip and comfortable Dual Knit Band

  • Dean Marc
  • October 15, 2025
View Post
  • Gears
  • Technology

Meet Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Series: Packing Everything You Expect From a Premium Tablet

  • Dean Marc
  • September 4, 2025
View Post
  • Technology

Malaysia’s ‘ASEAN Shenzhen’ needs some significant legal reform to take off — here’s how

  • dotlah.com
  • August 25, 2025
View Post
  • Gears
  • Technology

Samsung Electronics Debuts Odyssey G7 Monitors, Showcasing Top Games on Its Displays at Gamescom 2025

  • Dean Marc
  • August 20, 2025
View Post
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Technology

Thoughts on America’s AI Action Plan

  • Dean Marc
  • July 24, 2025
View Post
  • Technology

ESWIN Computing launches the EBC77 Series Single Board Computer with Ubuntu

  • dotlah.com
  • July 17, 2025
View Post
  • Gears
  • Technology

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones

  • Dean Marc
  • July 9, 2025
View Post
  • Cities
  • Technology

Meralco PowerGen’s PacificLight starts up 100 MW fast-response plant in Singapore

  • dotlah.com
  • June 20, 2025


Trending
  • 1
    • Lah!
    NEA Urges Continued Vigilance As Aedes Aegypti Mosquito Population And Number Of Dengue Cases Remain High At The Start Of 2020
    • January 15, 2020
  • 2
    • Lah!
    Singapore’s GDP Growth Expected To Be At 0%-1% For 2019
    • August 13, 2019
  • covid19 testing 3
    • People
    • World Events
    New Report Gives Covid-19 Testing Strategies To Help America’s Communities Open Safely
    • September 28, 2020
  • 4
    • Cities
    Clean And Green Singapore (CGS) 2020 Launched With $25 Million Climate-Friendly Households Programme For One-To Three-Room HDB Households
    • December 4, 2020
  • credit-card-avery-evans-RJQE64NmC_o-unsplash 5
    • People
    7 Reasons You Need A Good Credit Score
    • May 27, 2021
  • 6
    • Cities
    The Economies Most Reliant On Trade
    • June 10, 2020
  • 7
    • Cities
    Supply Chain Issues And Autos: When Will The Chip Shortage End?
    • April 18, 2023
  • 8
    • Featured
    Stockholm Guide for the Swifties: Get Ready for It in Swiftholm!
    • May 20, 2024
  • 9
    • Science
    Why Science Needs The Humanities To Solve Climate Change
    • August 7, 2019
  • 10
    • People
    • Solutions
    Our Lifestyles Are Making Us Sick: How Food-Is-Medicine Can Help
    • January 24, 2024
  • 11
    • Society
    • Technology
    Singtel Named Employer Of Choice In Asia
    • October 8, 2020
  • 12
    • Lah!
    Sunseap’s Solar Capacity In Singapore Crosses 300 MWp Milestone
    • May 9, 2020
Trending
  • 1
    Why climate summits fail – and three ways to save them
    • October 21, 2025
  • Bluetooth speakers 2
    Best Bluetooth Speakers Under $200 (2025 Edition)
    • October 16, 2025
  • 3
    Apple Vision Pro upgraded with the powerful M5 chip and comfortable Dual Knit Band
    • October 15, 2025
  • 4
    Apple unveils new 14‑inch MacBook Pro powered by the M5 chip, delivering the next big leap in AI for the Mac
    • October 15, 2025
  • 5
    Apple introduces the powerful new iPad Pro with the M5 chip
    • October 15, 2025
  • 6
    Singapore’s national identity excludes those who don’t look like a ‘regular family’
    • October 9, 2025
  • Smart Watch 7
    Best Smartwatches, Your Gateway to Health Monitoring and Everyday Use
    • October 5, 2025
  • Cooking pots and pans 8
    Best Pots and Pans 2025: All-Season, All-Purpose Picks for Every Kitchen
    • September 23, 2025
  • 9
    Politicians love comparing NZ’s economy to Singapore or Ireland – but it’s simplistic and misleading
    • September 21, 2025
  • Kitchen Knives - Best All-Around Picks in 2025 10
    Kitchen Knives : The Surgeons of Cooking – Best All-Around Picks in 2025
    • September 15, 2025
Social Links
dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Connecting Dots Across Asia's Tech and Urban Landscape

Input your search keywords and press Enter.