Evonik presenting additives for rubber recycling at K

Essen, Germany - Evonik Industries AG is highlighting the role of a rubber process additive in turning scrap tires into road construction materials during the K show in Düsseldorf this October.

The company will be presenting its Vestenamer-branded additive, which it says makes it feasible to process rubber powder from scrap tires for incorporation into asphalt and other products.

“As a process additive Vestenamer improves the flowability of the rubber compound, as a result of which the material can be processed much more efficiently,” explained Dr. Peter Hannen, market development manager for Vestenamer.

The reactivity and polymer structure of the additive are also important here: Both lead to a good network density between the rubber particles.

“This in turn positively impacts the mechanical properties,” says explained Hannen, adding: “Evonik’s process additive improves both the cost effectiveness of processing and the quality of the rubber parts when rubber is recycled.”

According to Evonik, each tonne of recycled rubber power saves some 2.7 tonnes of CO2 which would otherwise be produced if scrap tires were burnt.

Evonik also claims that VOC emissions are also “much lower” in road surfaces containing rubber than in conventional, polymer-modified asphalt types.

Figures presented by Evonik suggest that some 19.3 million tonnes of scrap tires are generated worldwide annually, including over 3.6 million tonnes in Europe.

Evonik manufactures Vestenamer additives at its production site in the Marl Chemical Park, Germany.