Assessment of waste rubber- epoxy composites: A sustainable solution

Abstract

Epoxy resins have many special qualities that make them perfect for many uses like coatings, adhesives, paints, and other applications. Although due to cross-linking structures, epoxy resins are very strong and brittle which can cause cracking of the material and lead to a lack of flexibility. On the other hand, waste tyre recycling and recovery pose significant environmental challenges due to their complicated structure and content. The use of rubber in the epoxy composite can enhance durability and improve the performance of the composite by enhancing flexibility, shock absorption, noise reduction, and resistance to weathering. Waste rubber composite can promote sustainable practices in the industries by reducing environmental impact and lowering the material cost. Researchers are trying to modify the epoxy rubber composites by optimizing the amount and size of the rubber particles. Also, different modified composites were prepared, studied and compared with unmodified composites. This study focuses on the review of different fabrication methods, their advantages and disadvantages, how the incorporation of rubber enhances mechanical, thermal properties and provides a sustainable solution.