Bio-Additives for Rubber Composites

BioPowder.com provides innovative, bio-based and fully sustainable granules for rubber compounds. Versatile micro-powders can enhance the performance parameters of tyres, shoe soles, hoses and other rubber items while boosting their recyclability. Countless bio-additives have been tested on the market: from corn starch over flax, hemp up to bagasse. All of them come with fair properties, however, the BioPowder.com team has developed an enhanced alternative – both in technical and environmental terms.

Rubber as a Major Source of Microplastics

Traditionally, synthetic granules, mainly from recycled rubber, have been used for compounding. On one hand, this has helped reduced rubber waste, whereas on the other hand it has not helped solve the problematic of microplastics. By far the largest amounts of microplastic, i.e. microscopic particles of non-biodegradable polymers, originate from the abrasion of tyres. In other words, every vehicle causes environmental damage simply by its contact with the road surface. To a minor extent, the same is true for shoe soles made of synthetic rubber. Humans walking down the road leave microscopic particles on the asphalt. Ultimately, this generates thousands of tons of microplastic that end up in the waters and in our food chain.

Sustainable Powder and Fibre Solutions

At BioPowder.com we help manufacturers of rubber composites replace synthetic and harmful additives by providing effective, bio-based alternatives. Our micronized powders, mainly made from olive stones, are fillers, ultra-resistant fibres and texturizers for any solid rubber compound. More precisely, we recommend our functional powders for the following uses:

as fillers: to increase hardness and resistance, especially in solid tyre formulations. Our powders are 2-3 times harder than most other plant-based fibres (3.5 on a Mohs scale) and withstand temperatures up to 200°C. In natural rubber formulations, olive stone powders transform semi-liquid caoutchouc into a sturdy solid. In synthetic formulations, the same favourable effects can be achieved by replacing conventional fillers such as carbon black or silica.
as crosslinking agents: especially suitable for elastomer formulations with a relatively low elasticity. Thanks to their reactivity, BioPowder.com powders can enhance molecular bonds and consequently improve the material’s elasticity and strength.
as reinforcing fibres: most tyre formulations are reinforced elastomers, i.e. composites consisting of a polymer and a reinforcing agent or fibre. Using natural reinforcing fibres offers enormous potential for environmental innovation. Especially tyre treads can benefit from our powder particles to enhance their resilience and abrasion/wear resistance.
as texturizers: diverse micron size ranges can be tailored to your specific requirements. Fine powders are ideal for dispersion whereas medium and large grain size ranges add a visible, granular texture. Surface modelling, for example for anti-slip effects, is made easy.

BioPowder.com functional powders can fulfil two or more of the above functions at the same time. Different micron size ranges, ways of integration in the rubber matrix and doses can create a variety of effects, resulting in a compound with optimized parameters for many applications.

If you are a manufacturer or developer of rubber products, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can advise you on the best additive to create sustainable high-performance rubber composites. We ship packaged and bulk volumes within Europe and worldwide.