EPDM recycled rubber is made from EPDM off-spec rubber, unvulcanized EPDM, or waste EPDM rubber products. It has excellent high and low temperature resistance, ozone resistance, aging resistance, and weather resistance. It can be used alone or with EPDM rubber to produce foam rubber products, effectively reducing raw material costs. Which foam rubber products can incorporate EPDM recycled rubber? What points should be noted?
1. EPDM recycled rubber for producing foam rubber sealing strips
Foam sealing strips for car doors and windows, and building doors and windows, are exposed to air for long periods and must withstand temperature changes, ozone, UV, and moisture. EPDM recycled rubber itself has good aging and ozone resistance and can be mixed with EPDM rubber in the right proportion to produce foam sealing strips, reducing raw material costs while improving processing performance.
In actual production, foam rubber sealing strips require high standards for compression set, rebound, surface condition, and dimensional stability. When using EPDM recycled rubber to cut costs, you shouldn't just focus on price—you need to adjust based on the grade of the original rubber, Mooney viscosity of the recycled rubber, ash content, and volatiles. During foaming, control venting, foaming ratio, and curing speed to avoid issues like large bubbles, collapse, or uneven surfaces.
2. EPDM recycled rubber for producing foam rubber sheets
Foam rubber sheets are often used for cushioning, sealing, insulation, and filling. Some products requiring high weather resistance can use a combination of EPDM recycled rubber and EPDM rubber. For thicker foam sheets, balancing the plasticity of rubber, foaming ratio, and curing speed is especially important. Overusing EPDM recycled rubber may affect bubble uniformity and compression rebound, so small-scale tests are needed to determine the right proportion.
3. EPDM recycled rubber for producing foam rubber tubing
Foam rubber tubing is mainly used in outdoor, automotive, and electromechanical fields for pipe insulation, protection, and cushioning. EPDM recycled rubber retains the basic properties of EPDM, like ozone resistance, UV resistance, and aging resistance. Foam tubing can choose suitable EPDM recycled rubber according to temperature, compression, and aging requirements, and adjusting the foaming system, curing system, and filler system can improve product density and dimensional stability. It's recommended to prioritize high-rubber-content, fine, impurity-free premium recycled EPDM.
4. EPDM recycled rubber for insulation materials
Insulation materials usually require low density, uniform bubbles, and good heat-aging resistance. EPDM recycled rubber has good weather resistance and can be mixed with EPDM to produce some foam insulation materials and auxiliary layers. When designing a formula with EPDM recycled rubber, key factors include controlling the foaming agent amount, curing speed, and rubber viscosity to prevent bubbles from bursting or collapsing if foaming speed exceeds crosslinking and setting speed.
5. EPDM recycled rubber for foam shock-absorbing materials
Foam shock-absorbing materials demand high compression rebound, cushioning, and fatigue stability. Proper use of EPDM recycled rubber can reduce costs and improve processing, but more is not always better. When EPDM recycled rubber is added, the crosslink network, hardness, rebound, and compression set of the rubber change, so you need to rebalance plasticizers, reinforcing fillers, and the curing system according to the product's purpose.
When using EPDM recycled rubber to cut costs in foam rubber products, it's important to strike a balance among rubber performance, formula cost, and production process.
Foam rubber manufacturers need to choose EPDM recycled rubber with appropriate specifications and stable quality, adjust formulas based on the properties of EPDM and recycled rubber, foaming systems, curing processes, and product specifications. Foam rubber is particularly sensitive to bubble structure and dimensional stability, so small-scale tests are recommended to gradually determine the optimal ratio of EPDM recycled rubber before scaling up to full production to truly achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement.
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