SUSTAINABLE TIRE WASTE AEROGEL WITH TUNABLE FLEXIBILITY MADE FROM RECYCLED TIRES FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

• Main Authors: Vozar, Katherine Avery, Kiziltas, Alper, Mielewski, Deborah Frances, Zhao, Haibo
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.07.2023
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBONFILAMENTS; CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS,THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OFARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES ORRIBBONS; METALLURGY; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; SPINNING; TEXTILES; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; WORKING-UP

A method of manufacturing an elastic polymer aerogel material includes dissolving tire waste, the tire waste including natural rubber, synthetic polymers, steel, fillers, and curing systems, in a solvent to form a first mixture and dissolving a polymer having at least one double carbon-carbon bond in the solvent to form a second mixture. The first mixture and the second mixture are combined, wherein the tire waste reacts with the polymer having at least one double carbon-carbon bond to form a reactant gel. The reactant gel undergoes a solvent exchange followed by freeze drying to form the elastic polymer aerogel material, wherein the elastic polymer aerogel material defines a 3D porous structure.