Ethylene propylene copolymer (EPM), or a terpolymer with a diene (EPDM), is a type of synthetic rubber, which is characterised by a wide range of applications. The ‘E’ letter refers to ethylene, ‘P’ to propylene and ‘D’ to diene and ‘M’ refers to a kind of monomer with respect to its classification in ASTM standard D-1418. The M class includes rubbers having a saturated chain of the polymethylene type.

EPDM rubber, therefore, is a terpolymer of ethylene,propylene and a diene-component and the Dienes currently used in the manufacture of EPDM rubbers are dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), ethylidene norbornene (ENB) and vinyl norbornene (VNB). Hexadiene (HD) is rarely being used in making EPDM these days.

The ethylene and propylene monomers combine to form a chemically saturated, stable polymer backbone providing excellent heat, oxidation, ozone and weather aging. A third, nonconjugated diene monomer is terpolymerized in a controlled manner to maintain a saturated backbone and place the reactive unsaturation in a side chain available for vulcanization or polymer modification chemistry.

The two most widely used diene termonomers are primarily ethylidene norbornene (ENB) followed by dicyclopentadiene (DCPD).Each diene incorporates with a different tendency for introducing long chain branching or polymer side chains that influence processing and rates of vulcanization by sulfur or peroxide cures. Generally, ENB type is better heat resistant than DCPD type. Peroxide cure EPDM, boosted with coagents provide better heat resistant than sulphur/accelerator cured EPDM.

This polymer is the most water resistant rubber available, and this resistance is maintained to high temperatures (up to 180°C in steam with peroxide cured compound). The highest temperature resistance is achieved by using peroxide cured grades. It is thus used extensively under water cables (sea water as well). Before EPDM, Chloprene rubber (CR) was extensively used wherever weather resistance properties were important. Upon discovery of EPDM in 1963 , it quickly took over existing weather resistant market of Chloroprene rubber (CR).

Ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) is one of the most widely used and highly-developing synthetic rubbers. EPDM business will reach US 6.9 b $ by end 1Q,2020. Currently, their total capacity is about 1.65m ton/ Yr. and it takes the third place in the world synthetic rubber consumption after styrene-butadiene and butadiene rubber. As of August 2019, there are 15 big companies in the world that produce EPDM.

In order to present a competitive landscape of the global EPDM market, key market players are witnessed as LANXESS AG (Germany), ExxonMobil Chemical (U.S.), Dow Elastomer (U.S.), Mitsui Chemical (Japan), Kumho Polychem (South Korea), Lion Copolymer (U.S.), Versalis (Italy), JSR Corporation (Japan), Jilin Chemical (China), SK Global Chemical (Japan), Nizhnekamsk Neftekhim Inc (Russia), and Sumitomo Chemical Company Ltd (Japan) have been profiled. With a huge number of EPDM manufacturers worldwide and with a number of different grades by each of these manufacturers, EPDM is one of the versatile elastomer in India now . EPDM has different grades in the industry based on :

• Mooney viscosity
• Type of diene content
• Percentage mole of diene content and
• Ethylene propylene ratio
• Bimodal Type

With current increase in EPDM uses , India now badly need EPDM manufacturing plant to protect its foreign currency. Another important application India need is compulsory application of EPDM based Roofing in rainy states to protect against damage of multistory buildings (Mumbai). EPDM has been used as a covering to waterproof roofing in western countries, Japan, China, Taiwan and countries in South East Asia. Major applications of EPDM are :

• Other than automobile glass-run channels, EPDM is also used in radiators, garden and appliance hose, tubing, pond liners, washers, belts, electrical insulation, vibrators, O-rings, solar panel heat collectors and speaker cone surrounds.
• It is also used as a medium for water resistance in electrical cable-jointing, geomembranes, rubber mechanical goods, plastic impact modification, thermoplastic etc.
• EPDM is used as blends in Butyl rubber for Inner-tube application.
• EPDM is used in PC side wall , black or white. Extensively used in color BC tyres for children.
• EPDM roofing is very popular in developed countries.
• With EPDM Roofing membranes rainwater harvesting is also very popular. EPDM roofing does not pollute the run-off rainwater.

Rubber roofing has the benefit that it does not pollute the runoff rain water. Water could be used for personal sanitation / gardenining / hygiene. White oil may be the best processing oil. They are manufactured in the form of calendared sheet and covered with a plastic such that its application on floor is easy upon removal of plastic and then they are applied in roof floor. EPDM rubber sheet can be installed either fully adhered, mechanically attached or ballasted, with the seams of the roofing system sealed with liquid adhesives or specially formulated tape. EPDM Waterproof Roofing system has delivered more than six decades of commercial roofing success by building upon a heritage of innovation in rubber polymer technology.

Dr Samir Majumdar, Rubber Consultant (India & Asia pacific), has served in leading tyre companies like JK Tyre, Kyoto Japan Tire, among others. He was technical and R&D head (Asia Pacific) in ExxonMobil. He has authored several research papers and technical books. smajumdar501234@yahoo.co.in

Ecolomondo Corporation, a leading Canadian innovator in sustainable scrap tyre recycling technology, has announced that its new milling line at Hawkesbury facility has achieved a major milestone during recent testing by reaching a throughput of approximately 2,700 lbs per hour of recovered carbon black (rCB). This result surpasses the company’s projected target of 2,200 lbs per hour.

When the new milling line is completely operational, it should be able to process 2,200 pounds of rCB per hour and provide a particle size distribution of 96 percent between 10 and 15 microns. It is anticipated that the plant would process more than 1.5 million scrap tyres annually, recovering 1,350 MT of process gas while producing 4,500 MT of recovered carbon black, 5,400 MT of oil and 2,250 MT of steel.

The company expects the commercial production of rCB to start by the end of May 2025. After being contacted, offtake clients told the company that they were eagerly expecting a larger supply of steel, oil and rCB, said the company. Depending on end-product market pricing, the company's yearly income from the sale of these sustainable goods plus tipping fees of USD 145 per metric tonne is expected to reach USD 12.1 million, with an estimated EBITDA of 45 to 50 percent, added the company statement.

Jean-François Labbé, Interim CEO, Ecolomondo Corporation, said, “This is a major achievement that brings the Hawkesbury facility closer to full production and commercialisation.”

Global speciality chemicals company Orion S.A. has launched a new bio-circular carbon black called ECOLAR 50 POWDER to provide coatings manufacturers with a new solution for more sustainable coatings.

ECOLAR 50 POWDER, which is entirely based on bio-circular feedstock, has coloristic qualities that are on par with those of ordinary speciality carbon blacks and includes 100 percent biogenic raw material according to 14C analysis. The coloristic qualities of ECOLAR 50 POWDER, a low to medium colour furnace black, offer moderate tinting strength and medium jetness in mass tone applications. ECOLAR 50 POWDER offers equivalent coloristic performance for full-tone and tinting applications, as well as comparable wetting and dispersion characteristics to conventionally manufactured low-colour furnace blacks.

ECOLAR 50 POWDER outperformed other common specialist carbon blacks in achieving medium jetness in a solvent-borne alkyd/melamine stoving enamel system. It created a similar neutral undertone as well. When tested in a water-borne 1K PU coating system, ECOLAR 50 POWDER created a more neutral undertone and jetness that was on par with other regular speciality carbon blacks.

Tilo Lindner, Vice President Global Marketing – Speciality Carbon Black, Orion, said, “We’re leading the way in advancing carbon black to meet increasing industry demands for sustainable products. ECOLAR 50 POWDER enables coatings formulators to develop truly sustainable products in all kinds of coatings applications.”

LD Carbon has inaugurated Korea’s first and largest waste tyre pyrolysis plant in Dangjin, South Korea.

Located in the Dangjin Hapdeok General Industrial Complex, the plant is expected to begin full-scale operation next month. The plant is spread over 29,800 square metres and features two factory buildings and five silos. The plant has an annual capacity to process 50 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) of tyre chips derived from end-of-life tyres (ELTs).

At the location, LD Carbon uses a two-step pyrolysis process, first turning ELTs into solid char and pyrolysis oil. After that, the business uses a secondary pyrolysis process to further compress the char and create recovered carbon black (rCB). It is anticipated that the Dangjin facility would generate 20 ktpa of rCB and 24 ktpa of pyrolysis oil, which is a substantial increase above the combined output of 7 ktpa at its current pilot plant in Gimcheon. When compared to traditional carbon black, the rCB generated by the technique is said to lower carbon emissions by up to 32 ktpa.

The company is planning to build plants overseas and intends to join the Asian market soon. It has also struck a 10-year offtake deal with SK Incheon Petrochem for its pyrolysis oil.

Speciality chemicals company LANXESS India organised its first exclusive Solutions Day event in Mumbai today to showcase its diversified and sustainable product portfolio to customers and other key stakeholders.

The event was organised to promote the idea of ‘One LANXESS’, where its business units – namely Advanced Industrial Intermediates, Flavors & Fragrances, Inorganic Pigments, Liquid Purification Technologies, Lubricant Additives Business, Material Protection Products, Polymer Additives, Rhein Chemie and Saltigo – displayed their distinctive products and solutions at the event. It provided an opportunity to highlight the cross-business synergies that characterise LANXESS' integrated approach and to present the company's cutting-edge solutions designed for a variety of industrial applications.

Three main business sectors, namely Advanced Industrial Intermediates, Speciality Additives and Consumer Protection Products, are currently the emphasis of LANXESS's strategy shift from a polymers to speciality chemicals company. In order to improve the value provided to clients, the event sought to promote cooperation and creativity across these various business divisions. In order to promote knowledge exchange, discover possible areas for collaboration and capitalise on the capabilities of each business unit to propel overall development and success, the day included interactive workshops, technical presentations and networking opportunities.

Namitesh Roy Choudhury, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, LANXESS India, said “Our goal with Solutions Day is to strengthen our existing partnerships and explore future collaborations that support sustainable industry growth. Through this event, we want to highlight LANXESS’ integrated offerings to all our stakeholders and address the global industrial challenges through the combined power of sustainable chemistry, innovation and responsible business.”