Eggshells, Tomato Peels Can Be Used In Manufacturing Tires: Research
Researchers at The Ohio State University have discovered that food waste can partially replace the petroleum-based filler that has been used in manufacturing tires for more than a century.
In tests, rubber made with the new fillers exceeds industrial standards for performance, which may ultimately open up new applications for rubber.
Katrina Cornish, an Ohio Research Scholar and Endowed Chair in Biomaterials at Ohio State, says the technology has the potential to solve three problems: It makes the manufacture of rubber products more sustainable, reduces American dependence on foreign oil and keeps waste out of landfills.
Cornish, who spent years cultivating new domestic rubber sources, including a rubber-producing dandelion, now has a patent-pending method for turning eggshells and tomato peels into viable-and locally sourced-replacements for carbon black, a petroleum-based filler that American companies often purchase from overseas. (dpa)
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