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The company Alucha, produces Circular Calcium Carbonate (CCC) by pyrolysis of sludge paper waste. This project was focused on the use of CCC as a sustainable alternative filler in rubber products. The application of CCC in elastomers, has the potential to decrease the CO2 footprint of rubber products by reducing the use of fillers such as carbon black (CB) produced from non-renewable fossil oils.
With this purpose, five different studies were performed:
• Task I: Flooring compound, comparison study CCC, gCCC, clay
• Task II: Study of the dispersion of the CCC in rubber matrices by AFM analysis
• Task III: Study of the use of CCC as an alternative of carbon black in conveyor belt application
• Task IV: Study of the use of carbon grafted CCC in flooring application
• Task V: Study of the use of CCC containing additives (stearic acid and wax( in flooring application
In these different studies, CCC was used as substitution of the traditional fillers in flooring and conveyor belt applications. Different rubber compounds were prepared using CCC and compared to reference samples with traditional fillers. The results of the studies performed showed that CCC can be used as a complement or alternative of the traditional fillers without compromising the properties of the final product.
This project is to investigate Circular Calcium Carbonate (CCC) that is produced by pyrolysis from paper waste in an innovative process developed by the company Alucha Management B.V. (Alucha) located in Arnhem. Although there is a need to use circular materials in rubber formulations it has not yet been proven that the replacement of mined white fillers (e.g. Kaolin, Calcium Carbonate) by CCC in rubber applications is possible without a significant impact on the processing properties and part performance. The scope of this project is to investigate the use of Circular Calcium Carbonate (CCC) in various rubber formulations and articles made thereof.