IJslandsestraat 8 - 12, 7202 CL Zutphen - The Netherlands
Artech Rubber
Dutch English
+31 575 54 38 76

Sustainable materials

Home Sustainability Sustainable materials

Sustainable rubber compounds: A step towards a green future

Sustainable rubber materials are specially developed with attention to environmental friendliness and circularity. They are produced from natural or recycled materials and contain ingredients that are less harmful to the environment. The use of these innovative materials contributes to a more sustainable future.

Why choose Artech’s sustainable materials?

At Artech Rubber, we are actively committed to sustainability. Thanks to years of research and development, we now process more than 150 tons of recycled rubber per year. By devulcanizing old tires and our production waste, we are able to produce large quantities of technical rubber moulded products with excellent material properties from sustainable materials. With our focus on reuse and environmentally friendly production, we offer high-quality rubber products that are not only sustainable, but also meet the highest technical requirements. Our solutions contribute directly to the transition to a circular economy.

What makes rubber compounds sustainable?

  1. Natural rubber sources: Using natural rubber from rubber trees instead of synthetic alternatives significantly reduces the ecological footprint.
  2. Recycling: Old tires and rubber products are converted into new rubber compounds, which reduces waste and optimizes raw material use.
  3. Biobased additives: Using biodegradable and natural fillers reduces the environmental impact.
  4. Lower CO2 emissions: Production processes that use renewable energy and sustainable technologies reduce emissions.
  5. Circularity: Many sustainable rubber compounds are designed with reuse in mind, so they are fully recyclable at the end of their life cycle.

Rubber gets its elasticity and unique material properties because crosslinks are formed between the polymer chains during the vulcanization process, which ensure a stable and irreversible three-dimensional network. In contrast to plastic, where there are no crosslinks between the polymer chains, rubber is therefore very difficult to recycle. Once rubber has taken on its solid form, it can no longer change shape. It can be compared to baking bread. This requires dough (rubber compound) to result in a well-done bread (rubber mold product) after baking. It is then not possible to make dough from this baked bread again. However, there are now various methods for recycling rubber.

sustainable materials EPDM

How is rubber recycled?

There are several ways to recycle and reuse rubber waste, such as production waste and end-of-life products:

  1. Granulation and grinding:
    Rubber is processed into a fine powder that can be added to new rubber compounds in a certain percentage.
  2. Pyrolyse:
    This converts rubber into carbon, which can then be used as an alternative to the filler carbon black in rubber compounds.
  3. Devulkanisation:
    This is the most sustainable option in which crosslinks (sulphur bridges) in vulcanised rubber are broken. This produces the high-quality material rubber devulcanisate, which we can reprocess

What is vulkanization and devulkanization?

Vulkanization

Vulcanization is a process in which rubber is treated with sulfur and other vulcanizing agents under heat and pressure. This process:

  • Improves the physical-mechanical properties of rubber.
  • Creates a crosslinked structure, which provides elasticity, strength, stiffness and durability.

Devulkanization

Devulcanization is the reverse process. In this process, the sulphur bridges in the rubber are broken, making the material plastic and processable again. The devulcanized material can then be used in new products.

Benefits of rubber devulcanizate in sustainable materials

Environmentally friendly:

Reduces rubber waste in landfills.

Reduces the need for new raw materials, saving fossil resources.

Economical:

Reduces raw material costs.

Creates new market opportunities for recycled products.

Energy saving:

Devulcanization uses less energy than virgin rubber production.

Applications of sustainable rubber materials

Sustainable materials are increasingly finding their way into industries such as:

  • Car tire industry: For tires with a lower environmental impact.
  • Footwear: For ecologically responsible soles and components.
  • Technical applications: For high-quality, durable rubber molded products.

Choose Artech Rubber for sustainable materials that combine both innovation and responsibility. Together we build a greener future.