Investigation of using waste banana peels in EPDM as bio-based filler

Abstract

The rubber and plastics sectors have been developing in both 19th and 20th centuries. The most of the developments have been realized in the 20th century. As a result of this, the need for petrochemical products has increased day by day. Synthetic rubber is used to protect vehicle tires, automotive parts, white goods, insulation materials and especially bridges, highways, viaducts and nuclear facilities requiring high elastic modulus from seismic and acoustical effects. Rubber type materials are preferred in many engineering applications due to due to their sufficient properties such as high elasticity. The importance of the study carried out in the rubber industry in order to improve the performance characteristics of the material as well as to increase the production efficiency and reduce the cost is increasing day by day. In order to remove or reduce the harmful effects of carbon black, which is used as a common filler the effects of additives obtained from some biological wastes such as banana peels instead of carbon black, on the physical and mechanical properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber have been investigated. The results were evaluated considering MDR and Soxhlet extraction test results applied on rubber samples.