Swedish polymer solutions company Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has launched two ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber grades derived from used cooking oil (UCO), forestry residue and tall oil.
Developed in partnership with raw materials supplier Arlanxeo, both new grades – the 70 Shore A E7T11 and the 80 Shore A E8T12 – offered a 61% reduction in carbon footprint in compound form, enabling a potential 55% reduction in product carbon footprint (PCF) for a manufactured gasket, the company said on 21 April.
“Our new reduced carbon footprint EPDMs are created from raw polymers based on non-fossil sources derived from renewable ingredients such as cooking oil, straw, forestry residue and tall oil,” said project manager Dr Jekaterina Miller.
“Although they achieve up to a 61% reduction in carbon footprint in compound form, the final formulations are comparable to traditional EPDM elastomers made from fossil-sourced inputs, ensuring equivalent application performance.”
Available as O-Rings, gaskets and custom engineered components, the products are suitable for sealing engines, doors, pumps, valves, line connector seals, household appliances, air cylinders, solar panels, marine hatches and doors in the automotive, processing, manufacturing, automation, energy, agriculture, and construction and mining equipment sectors.
Trelleborg is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of precision seals, bearings and custom-moulded polymer components.
