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: 04.04.2024
• 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 in a first portion of a solvent to form a first mixture; dissolving a polymer having at least one double carbon-carbon bond in a second portion of the solvent to form a second mixture; combining the first mixture and the second mixture, wherein the tire waste reacts with the polymer having at least one double carbon-carbon bond to form a reactant gel; and undergoing a solvent exchange on the reactant gel followed by freeze drying the reactant gel to form the elastic polymer aerogel material. The tire waste includes natural rubber, synthetic polymers, steel, and curing systems, and the elastic polymer aerogel material defines a 3D porous structure.