Skip to main content
European Commission logo
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
CORDIS Web 30th anniversary CORDIS Web 30th anniversary
Content archived on 2024-06-10

Cost Efficient Recycling of Elastomeric Materials With Noise and Vibration Damping Applications

Objective



The European Industry has a strong need for:
1. low cost elastomers in order to increase the
competitivity of traditional sectors such as shoes
industry or technical rubber or polyurethame goods
production (mats, seats, solid tyres...)
2. Iow cost noise and vibration damping elastomeric
composites for improvemenl of transporl means quality
(aircrafts, cars, railway vehicles), improvement of
industrial working environment and buildings noise
insulation.

At the same time, a sharp social and environmental issue
arises from elastomer waste. European rubber and
polyurethanes waste represents about 2 millions tons of
scrap materials per year. Wilhin this conlext, lhe
objeclive of this projecl is lo develop complele
recycling processes for rubber and polyurethane waste
aimed at the mass production of low cost elastomeric
composites with noise and vibration damping properties.
These recycling routes will be based on the manufacturing
of polymeric composite materials containing a large
volume fraction of powderized elastomeric wastes.
This project will focus on specifications on final
recycled composiles, optimization of crushing and
separation processes, development of a wide set of
innovative polymeric materials, small scale production of
prototype finished products and environmental impacts
analysis.
Main innovation will consist in systematic tailoring of
the recycled composite materials for each aimed
application. Size, chemical nature, volume fraction of
granulates and malrixes will be chosen in order to
achieve finished products with valuable functional
properties in terms of mechanical cohesion, noise
absorption and vibration damping, friction coefficient
and heat insulation.

Moreover, recycling of cross linked elastomer powders
requires the creation of chemical bondings at the
interfaces between grains and malrixes. Another technical
innovation will derive from optimization of these
interface phenomena based on powders shape optimization,
specific chemical treatments and use of bonding agents.
This achievement of high quality mechanical and damping
properties will lead to an up grading of the processed
elastomeric wastes. These up graded reused composite
materials will have multi products functionalities and
the possibilily for their incorporalion in various
applicalions will be checked and confirmed by the
industrial end users involved in the project.
This will guarantee the feasability of a processing of
large amounts of wastes: therefore, this program will
propose at a European level profit generating solutions
for the critical environmental and social issue deriving
from elastomer wastes.

The consortium comprises 6 partners and 2 sub contractors
from 6 European countries: TS.ASM France, manufacturer
of sound and vibration absorbing materials, coordinator
of the project and end user, DTI, Danish institute
specialized in rubber and polyurethane technology, IVW,
German inslilule deeply involved in polyurethane
technology and recycling, SCANRUB, Danish SME which has
already developed a complete elastomer crushing line, end
user GAIKER, Spanish SME experienced in polymers
recycling issues, end user through its associated
companies, ECCO, Portugal, manufacturer of shoes, end
user of the results for shoe soles production, MILLIKEN,
Danish sub contractor, manufacturer of mats, end user,
BETONGINDUSTRI, Swedish sub contractor, producing
concrete elements, end user of concrete/rubber
composites.
This partnership is multi sectorial and exhibits a high
complementarity in terms of know how, facilities,
industrial applications and corporate strategy: it would
have been impossible to gather such different experiences
and interesls al a national level.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

Thomson Marconi Sonar SAS
EU contribution
No data
Address
525,Route des Dolines
06903 Sophia Antipolis
France

See on map

Total cost
No data

Participants (5)