Cool Cure: A new lower temperature rubber curing system

This project will develop a new technology so that the rubber industry can process its materials at significantly lower temperatures. A reduction in process temperature of 30 – 50 °C will drastically reduce the energy consumption of the rubber sector, providing cost savings and a massive reduction in the carbon footprint. Moreover, the novel technology platform will use greener chemicals with reduced toxicity, in place of the carcinogenic and mutagenic molecules currently used.
Although our unique approach will reduce the processing temperature, it will maintain the performance of the rubber products. This project will demonstrate the effectiveness of the new technology on a simple polymer system, applicable to real life products, by revealing the full reaction pathway of the process for the first time.