Extrudable Rubber Delineators Using Recycled Powder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current highway delineators and road markers are unable to withstand impacts from vehicles or farm implements at high speeds and temperatures, and they are costly due to the use of high-performance polymers, while also contributing to environmental waste with virgin rubber production.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layer plastic extrusion process using a compounded mixture of polymers and micronized or pulverized rubber powder, which acts as a filler to enhance the material's viscosity and elasticity, allowing for cost-effective and sustainable production of road markers and highway delineators that can withstand impacts and maintain reflectivity, with a cap coat providing UV protection and adhesive properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-performance polymers are used to enhance impact resistance and rebounding performance, then the durability and reliability of delineators are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines rubber powder (20-80 parts by weight) with thermoplastic resin (20-80 parts by weight) to create a composite material that achieves both high impact resistance and cost-effectiveness. The rubber powder provides excellent rebounding performance and durability, while the thermoplastic resin provides structural integrity and reduces manufacturing cost compared to using high-performance polymers alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the weight ratio of rubber powder to thermoplastic resin (20-80:20-80) to achieve the desired balance between impact resistance and manufacturing cost. By adjusting these parameters, the formulation can be tailored to meet specific performance requirements while controlling production expenses.
2Reliability
If virgin rubber is used to provide elasticity and impact absorption, then the rebounding performance is improved, but the environmental impact and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes recycled rubber powder (20-80 parts by weight) obtained from waste tire recycling programs, converting environmental waste into a valuable material that provides excellent rebounding performance. This approach eliminates the need for virgin rubber production, reducing environmental impact while maintaining the required elasticity and impact absorption properties.
3Reliability
If thermoset rubber compounds are used to achieve superior elastic properties, then the rebounding performance is enhanced, but the material becomes un-extrudable through standard equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of material type from thermoset to thermoplastic resin, while incorporating rubber powder as a filler. The thermoplastic resin maintains extrudability through standard plastic extrusion equipment, while the rubber powder (20-80 parts by weight) provides the desired elastic properties and rebounding performance, effectively decoupling the extrudability requirement from the elasticity requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system where thermoplastic resin provides extrudability and structural form, while rubber powder provides elasticity and rebounding performance. This composite approach allows the material to be processed through standard extrusion equipment while achieving superior elastic properties that would be difficult to obtain with pure thermoplastics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in delineators that can repeatedly return to their upright position after impact, offering improved durability and cost-effectiveness, while reducing environmental impact by utilizing recycled tire rubber and providing a recyclable material with comparable performance to virgin rubber products.
Implementation Method 1
The micronized rubber particles act as a filler to make an un-extrudable thermo set/thermoplastic blend more viscous and thus extrudable
Implementation Method 2
The excellent filler loading acceptance and the elasticity performance nature of Vistamax3020 or equivalent (Propylene-based Elastomer)
Implementation Method 3
The finished tube or flat delineator is protected from deteriorating from ultra-violet rays from the sun, by a multi-layer thin cap coat cover of a polymer and color concentrate
Data Source
AI summary
Road markers, highway delineators and other products are manufactured from a compounded mixture of polymers and pulverized or micronized rubber powder, using a multi-layer plastic extrusion process on industry standard plastic extrusion equipment. The compound retains shape and includes a mixture of natural and synthetic rubbers, carbon black, fillers and oils; a propylene-based elastomer; a mixture of light color aliphatic hydrocarbon resins, and linear low density polyethylene.