Exploration and Innovation in Sustainable Rubber Performance

Elastomers are extremely important materials that are used in many different applications such as tires, hoses, seals, and damping systems. In recent years, one of the main focuses of the rubber industry has been to improve the sustainability of rubber products without compromising their performance. There are different approaches to reducing the environmental impact of rubber products. Some approaches focus improving the performance of the elastomers in order to increase the durability and longevity of the end products and generate less waste, whereas some concentrate on the use of new, naturally sourced materials with a lower environmental impact. Another approach aims to improve the recyclability of rubber products to be able to reuse the generated waste. All of these approaches bring new knowledge and innovation into elastomer performance that contribute to the final goal of making rubber more sustainable.

Therefore, this Special Issue contains papers that study new systems to improve rubber performance in order to design compounds with advanced properties or specific functionalities, improve recyclability, and increase the use of bio-based materials, all of which provide new insights into how to make rubber more sustainable.