Single Atom Zinc Material for Rubber Vulcanization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rubber industry faces challenges with high zinc oxide content and resource waste, environmental pollution, and regulatory restrictions on zinc usage, necessitating a more efficient and environmentally friendly vulcanization activator.
Innovation Solution
A single atom zinc material is developed, comprising a carrier such as nano silica or nano calcium carbonate with zinc anchored on defect sites, using single-atom catalysis technology, which reduces zinc consumption and enhances rubber properties like thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and aging resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional zinc oxide is used as a vulcanization activator, then the rubber industry achieves effective vulcanization, but high zinc content leads to resource waste and environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of zinc by transitioning from bulk zinc oxide particles to single-atom zinc dispersed on a carrier. This parameter change transforms the catalytic activity per unit mass, achieving effective vulcanization with dramatically reduced zinc content (60%-70% reduction), thus resolving the contradiction between vulcanization effectiveness and zinc resource consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite material system where single-atom zinc is anchored on a carrier surface. This composite structure combines the high catalytic activity of single-atom zinc with the support function of the carrier, enabling effective vulcanization while minimizing zinc usage and reducing environmental pollution from zinc debris
2Productivity
If zinc oxide is used to activate vulcanization, then rubber production proceeds efficiently, but zinc releases into the environment causing pollution and health issues
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the physical state of zinc from bulk oxide to single-atom dispersion, the invention maintains high catalytic efficiency for vulcanization (ensuring productivity) while dramatically reducing the total zinc content required. This parameter change also reduces the amount of zinc that can be released as pollution, addressing both productivity and environmental concerns
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the traditionally harmful high-zinc-content approach into a beneficial low-zinc approach. By using single-atom zinc with ultra-high catalytic efficiency, the harmful environmental impact of zinc pollution is converted into a benefit through minimal zinc usage while maintaining or improving production efficiency
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 single atom zinc material significantly decreases zinc usage by 60%-70%, reduces carbon emissions, and minimizes environmental pollution, while improving rubber performance and extending its service life, making it an effective and sustainable alternative to traditional zinc oxide.
Implementation Method 1
The single atom zinc material is prepared by a single atom catalysis technology. The single atom zinc material uses single-atom zinc as an active center
Implementation Method 2
the transition metal is anchored on a defect site on a surface of the carrier
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present application relates to the technical field of rubber additive, and particularly to a single atom zinc material, rubber articles and preparation method thereof. The single atom zinc material is made of a carrier and a transition metal, the carrier is one of nano silica and nano calcium carbonate, or combination thereof. The transition metal is zinc; and the transition metal is anchored on a defect site on a surface of the carrier in a form of a single atom. The present application adopted a new monatomic technology to prepare a newly developed single atom zinc material applied to the rubber field, which can totally replace the traditional zinc oxide. A usage of the zinc oxide was decreased by 60%-70%, nonferrous metal zinc resources were significantly saved, carbon emissions caused by related smelting were reduced, while residual pollution of heavy metals to the environment were effectively reduced, and industrialization was easy to achieve.