Sustainability-Driven Material Selection in Rubber Manufacturing: A Comparative Assessment of Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplastic Elastomers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64137/31079377/IJMSD-V2I1P102Keywords:
Vulcanized rubber, Thermoplastic elastomers, Lifecycle assessment, Sustainable manufacturing, Polymer processingAbstract
The production industry of rubber faces an immense change based on the growth of environmental control, resource limitation, and the need for sustainable material manufacturing. Conventional vulcanized rubber, despite being capable of being more mechanically strong and thermally stable, depends on permanently binding mechanisms, making it harder to recycle and raising the end-of-life environmental load. Conversely, Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) have already appeared as promising alternatives because they can be melted down and have a stronger possibility to recover the materials. In this work, we can discuss a comparative evaluation of vulcanized rubber and thermoplastic elastomers, which are both sustainability-based approaches, and through the material processing pathways, the environmental impact, recyclability, and performance in the life cycle. The approach undertaken combines both a qualitative analysis of the polymerization and processing mechanisms, along with a comparative analysis of the manufacturing efficiency, energy usage, and waste control. A significant release is that vulcanized rubber offers long-term durability and high-performance attributes that can be applied in high-stress applications, but requires more processing energy and fewer reuses. Thermoplastic elastomers also have high processing efficiency, less manufacturing cycle time, and better recyclability, which makes them have a low environmental impact throughout their lifecycle. From a sustainability perspective, TPEs have benefits in closed-loop production and decreased waste of materials, and vulcanized rubber is important to use in cases that demand extreme mechanical performance. The research indicates the essential tradeoffs between performance and sustainability, as well as offers information that can be used as a guide in the selection of materials in the rubber manufacturing systems concerned with environmental concerns.
References
[1] Rajani Pydipalli, and Jayadip GhanshyamBhai Tejani, “A Comparative Study of Rubber Polymerization Methods: Vulcanization vs. Thermoplastic Processing,” Technology & Management Review, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 36-48, 2019.
[2] A. Y. Coran, Vulcanization, Science and technology of rubber, Academic Press, pp. 339-385, 1994.
[3] B. Erman, J. E. Mark, and M. C. Roland, The Science and Technology of Rubber. Waltham Ma: Academic Press, 2013.
[4] G. Holden, Thermoplastic elastomers, In Applied plastics engineering handbook, William Andrew Publishing, pp. 97-113, 2024.
[5] M. Akiba, “Vulcanization and crosslinking in elastomers,” Progress in Polymer Science, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 475–521, 1997, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6700(96)00015-9.
[6] R. A. Gross, “Biodegradable Polymers for the Environment,” Science, vol. 297, no. 5582, pp. 803–807, Aug. 2002, doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.297.5582.803.
[7] B. Adhikari, “Reclamation and recycling of waste rubber,” Progress in Polymer Science, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 909–948, Sep. 2000, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6700(00)00020-4.
[8] J. Hopewell, R. Dvorak, and E. Kosior, “Plastics recycling: Challenges and opportunities,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 364, no. 1526, pp. 2115–2126, Jul. 2009, doi: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0311.
[9] M. Garetti and M. Taisch, “Sustainable manufacturing: trends and research challenges,” Production Planning & Control, vol. 23, no. 2–3, pp. 83–104, Aug. 2011, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2011.591619.
[10] Material evolution: TPU continues to replace rubber in various applications, Covestro, [Online]. Available: https://solutions.covestro.com/en/highlights/articles/stories/2025/tpu-more-sustainable-rubber-replacement
[11] A. K. Bhowmick and H. L. Stephens, Handbook of elastomers. New York: M. Dekker, 2001.
[12] B. Adak, U. Chatterjee, and M. Joshi, “Rubber-Based Sustainable Textiles and Potential Industrial Applications,” Textiles, vol. 5, no. 2, p. 17, May 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/textiles5020017
[13] M. Myhre, S. Saiwari, W. Dierkes, and J. Noordermeer, “RUBBER RECYCLING: CHEMISTRY, PROCESSING, AND APPLICATIONS,” Rubber Chemistry and Technology, vol. 85, no. 3, pp. 408–449, Sep. 2012, doi: https://doi.org/10.5254/rct.12.87973.
[14] L. Y. Ljungberg, “Materials selection and design for development of sustainable products,” Materials & Design, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 466–479, Jan. 2007, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2005.09.006.
[15] M. Niaounakis, Recycling of flexible plastic packaging. Oxford ; Cambridge William Andrew Cop, 2020.
[16] P. van den Tempel and F. Picchioni, “Polymer Recycling: A Comprehensive Overview and Future Outlook,” Recycling, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 1, Dec. 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10010001.
[17] A. K. Bhowmick, and D. Mangaraj, Vulcanization and curing techniques, Rubber products manufacturing technology, Routledge, pp. 315-396, 2018.
[18] R. Rajesh Babu and Kinsuk Naskar, “Recent Developments on Thermoplastic Elastomers by Dynamic Vulcanization,” pp. 219–247, Jan. 2010, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/12_2010_97.
[19] J. Karger-Kocsis, Thermoplastic rubbers via dynamic vulcanization, Polymer blends and alloys, Routledge, pp. 125-154, 2019.
[20] K. A. Iyer, A. Doufas, and D. R. Sunagatullina, “Dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers based on 4-methyl-1-pentene polymers,” Polymer, vol. 238, p. 124423, Jan. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2021.124423.
[21] K. C. Jha and M. Tsige, “MOLECULAR MODELING OF THERMAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF ELASTOMERS: A REVIEW,” Rubber Chemistry and Technology, vol. 86, no. 3, pp. 401–422, Sep. 2013, doi: https://doi.org/10.5254/rct.13.86985.
[22] M. M. Farag, Materials and Process Selection for Engineering Design. CRC Press, 2020.
[23] J. S. Loor et al., “Sustainable thermoplastic elastomers: valorization of waste tires, recycled HDPE, and recycled EVA,” Frontiers in Sustainability, vol. 6, Sep. 2025, doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2025.1638375.
