According to the National University of Singapore (NUS), only 40% of waste tires are recycled-the rest are either burned to generate electricity or thrown into landfills. But now scientists at the university have developed a method to convert used tire rubber into high-value aerogels. A team led by Associate Professor Duong Hai-Minh and Professor Nhan Phan-Thien of the National University of Singapore first cut waste car tires into fine rubber fibers. Those fibers are then immersed in a solution consisting of water and a small amount of "eco-friendly" solvent, which cross-links the fibers to each other. The mixture was mechanically stirred for 20 minutes to form a gel in which the connected fibers were evenly suspended. The gel was then poured into molds and freeze-dried at -50ºC (-58ºF) for 12 hours. The resulting solid rubber aerogel is said to be very lightweight, highly absorbent (can be used to absorb oil leakage), and provides excellent thermal and sound insulation properties. In addition, unlike traditional fragile aerogels, this aerogel is considered to have high durability. If it is coated with a chemical called methoxytrimethylsilane, it can also be made waterproof. Hai-Minh said: "The manufacturing process is simple, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The entire production process takes 12 to 13 hours to complete, and the cost of producing a rubber aerogel measuring 1 square meter and 1 centimeter thick is less than S $ 10 The process can also be easily scaled up for mass production, which makes rubber aerogels a commercially attractive product. " Scientists recently published a paper on the study in the journal "Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects". Bathroom accessory includes a range of Floor Drain , Robe Hook , Glass Holder, Soap Holder , Toilet Paper Holder, Toilet Brush Holder, tower bar, Towel Shelf and etc. Bathroom Accessory,Rose Gold Bathroom Accessory,Bath Hardware Accessories Set,Luxury Bathroom Accessories Kaiping Jenor Sanitary Ware Co., Ltd , https://www.jmjenorsanitary.com
