Recycling of waste rubber as fillers: A review

Recently, in line with raising environmental concerns, researchers are now focusing on the uses of recycled product. Waste rubber is one of the waste material that has been recycled and being used in many area such in civil engineering, tyres production, polymer composite, energy source and many more. This paper highlighted the concern on the raising numbers of waste rubber products generated globally and how does this waste rubber can cause a serious threat to the environment. Re-use, recycle, recovery and pyrolysis is the common method in ensuring sustainable management of waste products and it keeps emerging. This paper will discussed briefly the development of recycling waste rubber into a composite material, the methods, characterisations and improvements that contributed by the waste rubber on the composites properties. Focus is on the development of composite filled with waste rubber tyres, waste rubber gloves, waste rubber condoms and few other waste rubber products. Incorporation of waste rubber fillers has improved the mechanical and physical properties of the composites. Thus, composites with waste rubber fillers has created a new sustainable material and has potential to be applied into various field. (paper)