Green rubber to begin trials of retreads using recycled content

ERJ staff report (DS)

London -- Green Rubber, the Malaysian-owned rubber recycling business, said it has commissioned the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC) in the UK to begin fleet trials for retreaded tyres using its proprietary recycled rubber crumb.

The commencement of trials at TARRC's Rubber Consultants unit, follows the completion of accelerated road wear trailer testing at the UK consultancy, which showed that retread tyres containing up to 30 per cent Green Rubber compound performed well in artificially severe trailer testing.

Green Rubber's compound is produced by mixing vulcanised tyre crumb with DeLink, the company's patented devulcanising agent, using a conventional mill process.  Green Rubber said the end product is a form of devulcanised rubber which can then be re-vulcanised and blended with virgin compound. The cost of a tonne of Green Rubber is significantly below current market prices for virgin rubber compound.

Separately, TARRC said Green Rubber's recently developed, alternative DeLink formula has produced a devulcanised rubber compound with a significantly longer scorch safety profile. The development of the new formula will enable manufacturers to use the new Green Rubber compound to produce a wide range of products that require greater processing safety. Short scorch safety has been a feature of devulcanised compound since rubber recycling technologies first emerged.

Green Rubber is planning to list on the AIM market in London towards the end of 2008.