Towards developing fully sustainable elastomers: the role of chemistry

Abstract

The development of sustainable polymer materials is no longer just an option but a necessity. Elastomers are indispensable members of the polymer family due to their high tensile strength, durability, energy absorption capabilities, and excellent resistance to fatigue and environmental degradation. Elastomers have found a unique role in diverse industries, like transportation, automotive, aerospace, construction, and sports. However, elastomers are typically synthetic chemically crosslinked networks that are difficult to break down and recycle. Because of environmental impacts of synthetic elastomers, developing fully green or sustainable elastomers through green chemistry seems indispensable. This review aims to summarize and analyze existing reports on green elastomers, focusing on sustainable components, green chemistry, their performance, and sustainable manufacturing compared to conventionally used solutions. Due to the complexity of elastomer formulation—comprising numerous ingredients like base rubber or gum, curing agents, accelerators, activators, plasticizers, and other additives—creating fully sustainable elastomers, their blends, and composites with desirable properties remains a significant challenge. While no one has yet achieved this goal, a systematic and critical analysis of green chemistry principles in developing sustainable elastomers, with emphasis on green components, sustainable manufacturing and materials circularity considerations may be a feat of expediting decision-making processes toward a greener future ahead for the elastomer industry, and drive the development of fully green and sustainable elastomers.