Flinders University invention for rubber repair dubbed Terminator Tyres
Tired of patching and replacing rubber tyres? Flinders Uni researchers are pumped about their latest invention, rubber that bounces back from damage just like The Terminator.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Flinders University’s super sponge soaks up oil, diesel
- New Adelaide-made material rapidly absorbs PFAS contamination
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
As with The Terminator, who always bounces back, tyres made from Adelaide-invented rubber could heal a hole or regenerate tread to hit the road as good as new.
Flinders University Chalker Lab researchers investigated the new rubber material made from cheap and plentiful industrial-waste products.
Previous research has shown it can be used to mop up oil spills in water and mercury and heavy metals in soil. Now it’s clear there’s a wider range of applications, including “rubber bricks” and other construction materials.
Flinders chemistry graduate Sam Tonkin, 23, of Aberfoyle Park, led the project as an honours student and was the lead author for an academic journal article.
He tested how well the new rubber could recover.
“It’s really quite incredible that you can get it back from a clean cut to working stronger than it was before,” he said. “The next step, natural self-healing, would open up a whole range of applications, where you may not even know there was damage there in the first place, because it would repair straight away.”
Damaged rubber tyres are typically patched up and then thrown away, with limited reuse or recycling.
Most old tyres are stockpiled and then dumped or destroyed. Mr Tonkin said his work could reduce harm to the environment.
Adelaide firm Animate Your Science created a catchy explainer video to support communication of the research results, which you can watch above.