In a break-through development, Australian scientists have discovered a new type of rubber polymer which helps to create revolutionary green construction materials. Green type construction material, which includes bricks and construction materials could be made using waste plant fibers, sand, or PVC and the newly discovered rubber polymer.
Composed of sulfur and canola oil, the rubber polymer could be compressed with fillers to create construction materials of the future, say researchers involved in the discovery.
Rubber Polymer potent to replace conventional Constructional Material
“So much so, the method involved to produce the rubber polymer could one day replace bricks, non-recyclable construction materials, and even concrete,” says an associate professor of organic chemistry at Flinders University.
Meanwhile, the powdered rubber can potentially find use for tubing, bumpers, or rubber coatings. Some other use of powdered rubber can for to be compressed, heated then mixed with other fillers to create entirely new composites, which includes more sustainable building blocks, concrete replacement, or insulation.
Among a slew of construction materials, cement is a finite resource and causes heavy pollution its production, with concrete production responsible for more than 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. And, production of construction materials responsible for 18% greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
“Currently, there are few methods available to recycle PVC or carbon fiber,” says a few members involved in the research along with support from researchers at Fliders university, Deakin University, and University of Western Australia.
The new recycling technique and creation of new composites is an important step ahead in the development of sustainable construction materials, wherein the rubber material can be repeatedly ground and recycled, said lead author of the study. Furthermore, the rubber particles can first find use to purify water, and then repurposed into a rubber mat or tubing.
