Tires of the future could come from the farm as much as the factory as researchers have found a way to turn waste tomato peels and eggshells into sustainable rubber.<\/p>\n
The researchers discovered that food waste can partially replace carbon black, the petroleum-based filler that has been used in manufacturing tires for more than a century.<\/p>\n
In tests, rubber made with the new fillers exceeds industrial standards for performance, which may ultimately open up new applications for rubber.<\/p>\n
The method for turning eggshells and tomato peels into viable – and locally sourced\u2014replacements for carbon black was developed by Katrina Cornish and colleagues from The Ohio State University in the US.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found that replacing different portions of carbon black with ground eggshells and tomato peels caused synergistic effects – for instance, enabling strong rubber to retain flexibility,\u201d Cindy Barrera, a postdoctoral researcher in Cornish\u2019s lab, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
While the findings could make the manufacture of rubber products more sustainable and also keep waste out of landfills.<\/p>\n
The researchers found in tests that eggshells have porous microstructures that provide larger surface area for contact with the rubber, and give rubber-based materials unusual properties.<\/p>\n
Tomato peels, on the other hand, are highly stable at high temperatures and can also be used to generate material with good performance.<\/p>\n
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