High Performance Elastomer black Pigment from Post-Consumer Waste

By Lisa Clapp, Steve Johnson, Mike Venturini, John Nimmo

The coatings market faces increasing customer and consumer demands to offer products with a green advantage. A report cited by EnvironmentalLeader.com notes that 78% of consumers bought green or sustainable products in 2013, which is up from 69% in 2012.1 While studies have shown that consumers will not pay more for a product that has the benefit of being environmentally friendly, companies are beginning to recognize that there is a longer-term potential economic benefit for products that offer environmental claims.2 In addition to customer pull, regulatory pressures are placing higher environmental impact standards on coatings.

Many of these regulations are restrictive, and the need to identify materials that improve a company’s sustainability portfolio is becoming much more critical. The pigment reported on in this article has not been assessed as a green or sustainable product, but one of the primary sources for the product is waste rubber materials, such as post-consumer tires. The pyrolysis process has been deemed beneficial to the environment, which is likely the minimum designation for this product.