Sekhar Research Innovations (SRI) has been awarded the 2010 Asia Pacific Technology Innovation Award for Tire Recycling Technology by Frost & Sullivan. SRI received the Asia Pacific award in recognition of its performance against key competitors in terms of uniqueness of technology, impact on new products/applications, functionality, customer value and the relevance of SRI’s innovation to the tire recycling industry.

Frost & Sullivan’s Technology Innovation of the Year Award is bestowed upon a company that has carried out new research, which has resulted in the development of a specific innovative technology that has or is expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. This award recognizes the quality and depth of a company’s research and development program as well as the vision and risk-taking that enabled it to undertake such an endeavor.

SRI is honored to receive this prestigious award. We thank Frost & Sullivan for recognizing the disruptive potential of our technology and its significance as a milestone in the Asia Pacific cleantech industry.

PDF of notification from Frost & Sullivan to SRI

Virgin compound blended with SRI Compound Masterbatch in proportions ranging from 5% to 20%

The significance here is that recycled content, converted to compound in the form of SRI Compound Masterbatch, has been successfully used to replace virgin rubber compound in this application (retread) in proportions of up to 20% without any appreciable loss in properties or performance. This directly translates to immediate raw material savings of between 5% to 7%  and potentially substantial consumption in a high volume, highly competitive application.

The full report is available as PDF here

SRI’s proprietary machine effectively devulcanizes 40 mesh tire crumb in a mechano chemical process. The system allows for a batch size in excess of 250kg with a very low energy footprint, low heat signature and a process time of under 20 minutes per batch. Having achieved this milestone, production will begin shortly in both Malaysia and the USA with the equipment being shipped this month.

Light truck tires manufactured using SRI Compound Masterbatch have successfully cleared the 5,000 km mark under normal commercial road conditions while carrying maximum payload. Reaching this very significant benchmark means that from this point forward the evaluation process will be identical to that of a normal production tire. SRI has achieved an industry first as no other comparable material has previously qualified at this level.  These road test results show very similar wear patterns even down to axel related variations and have thus far cleared the evaluation process without issue. Having crossed the 10,000 km threshold, we await official measurement results and will be publishing them in due course.

Click the image above to download the full results

One of the biggest environmental problems plaguing the world is the estimated one billion tyres lying in dumps around the world. The tyres cannot be easily disposed of or recycled and lie in massive dumps — some up to six football fields deep — leaking chemicals into the ground. Some catch fire spectacularly. These fires do not burn out easily. YouTube has videos showing tyre dumps on fire, spewing out thick black smoke and flames. The fires will last for days, the smoke for years. One tyre dumpsite was simmering deep in its bowels, releasing smoke for five incredible years.

“It is a common occurrence,” says Gopi Sekhar, CEO of SRI, who nonetheless believes he has found the solution to the rising mountains of discarded tyres around the world. He and his research team have created a compound which goes into making retread tires. More importantly, a light tyre for trucks, which was made with more than 14% recycled rubber, has been independently validated and tested by the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) of the Malaysian Rubber Board. The RRI noted that the performance of the tyre made by SRI was even better than that of a tyre made of virgin rubber.

An ecstatic Gopi welcomes the RRI validation. “What we have here is nothing less than the solution to the global tyre and rubber scrap problem. It will address not only the annual accumulation [of tyres] but also the backlog in the landfills. The introduction of SRI Compound Masterbatch as an industrial raw material effectively means cost-effective value-added consumption, which will make it irresistible as a green raw material. We believe that this is the future of global rubber recycling,” he says.

The rest of the article can be read at The Edge

RRI inspecting inspecting light truck tire

SRI is pleased to announce 2,500km mark of the RRI on the road validation trials of our light truck tires  has been passed successfully. The RRI results confirm no appreciable difference in abrasion resistance and performance to date. SRI will be clearing the 5,000km mark in the coming week. This is a significant performance marker for new tires. SRI now expects to quickly progress through the protocol so that we may carry out the required tests with European Light truck compounds.

Dr. Alias Othman the Director of the Technology and Engineering and Puan. Che Su Head of the Advance Technology unit were on hand to witness the historic event and take a close look at the tires and measurements taken.

[/caption]

This chart involves a full battery of tests where control sample production tire and SRI Compound production tire were independently subjected to the full ASTM standard tests (Standard Test reference is on the chart) for Light Truck tires. All the information on the chart is important. The SRI Compound Tire is a composite compound using the manufacturers Light Truck compound with a substitution of 20% with our SRI Compound.

In this case it means that tread compound has 14% of recycled content and the sidewall of the tire has a little more than 14% recycled content. Virgin compound modified to allow for customization added to the activated compound will make the final custom compound proportion 20%. Here the tensile, elongation at break and Abrasion resistance (the lower the value the better) of the all the samples are tested following the protocols of the prescribed standard by the Rubber Research Institute’s (http://www.lgm.gov.my/) Tire Lab of the Malaysian Rubber Board.

On review of the results it will show that in spite of the inclusion or substitution of 20% (in this case 14% recycled material content) without custom compound that we were able to ensure no loss in properties, in fact we were able to prove that we could even exceed the original specifications in certain cases. Also the fact that we have done it in the sidewall and tread compounds makes it all the more impressive.

[/caption]

This (above) chart is a comparison of the manufacturers Light Truck Tire Compound and a composite compound which is the same compound with 20% substituted with the  SRI Custom Compound (14% recycled rubber content). These compounds, the control and the composite were then tested for tensile and elongation at break to show that there is no appreciable loss or change in properties.

In the case of Batches 6 & 7 we increased the recycled content a little but please note that the variance is considered near test error difference. Regardless we feel that all the results are impressive and make our point without exception.

[/caption]

The plunger test effectively measures the amount of force required to make the tire that has been normally inflated to fail or burst when it is applied to a specified area of the side wall using a regulation test plunger. The minimum specification to pass the test is that the point of failure or bursting must be achieved due to force in excess of 6,759kg.cm or 5,700 in.lb.

The control or manufacturers original OEM compound tire was measured to require a force of 7,029kg.cm to make the plunger break through.

The  SRI custom compound tires not only passed the minimum specification but it managed to comfortably exceed the control at 7,798kg.cm and 8,800 kg.cm.

This test is of specific significance as the  SRI activated compound was not only incorporated into the tread compound but it was also introduced into the sidewall compound. This test is not only measuring the overall resistance of the tire to measured trauma but it is a test that points clearly to the performance level of the side wall compound. The  SRI compound in the current format was intended to be equal to the control specification; this was achieved and exceeded which leaves additional room for further cost reduction based on the sidewall formulation.

All these test results were the result of independent testing and evaluation by the Rubber Research Institute of the Malaysian Rubber Board.

Based on these test results, what has been achieved here is historic, there has never been a case of scrap rubber/tire dust or powder, regardless of the technology employed that has ever exceeded a couple of percentile. Before this innovation exceeding 2 plus % recycled content in a tire compound always meant what is referred to in the industry as “catastrophic failure”. History has been rewritten, the  SRI custom compound has been able to incorporate more than 14% recycled content in both the tread and sidewall compounds of a light truck tire and actually had it provide performance parameters equal to and higher than the original compound. Obviously the content levels would be substantially higher in lower to medium level applications.  SRI is currently unmatched having broken new technological ground in recycling whose impact and significance will be effect the entire rubber industry.

SRI’s revolutionary compound’s, technical reach and ability to perform in premium volume applications will not only ensure substantially improved viability for rubber product manufacturers but will make environmentally friendly “green” production the norm rather than the exception. Finally there is a real solution to the “Tire Mountains” and the environmental pollution from them.  SRI activated custom compounds allow for substantial recycled content to be applied in nearly all volume applications cost effectively without appreciable loss of properties.

Video #3 Revolutionary Technology: SRI Compound based Light Truck Tire Production:

Sekhar Research Innovations is proud to announce that it has successfully produced Light Truck Tires in a commercial production plant using a significant proportion of its custom compound. All preliminary tests have been positive and in accordance with specifications of the original control.  SRI is confident that its current attained success is of critical importance and great significance to the rubber industry. Moreover,  SRI is certain that this represents ‘History in the Making.’

The  SRI  Compound was originally produced in full production batch in a Banbury Mixer in the World Renowned Malaysian Rubber Board’s, Rubber Research Institute facility in Sg. Buloh http://www.lgm.gov.my/ and subsequently shipped to the manufacturer’s plant.

SRI Compound was then mixed and formulated with virgin light truck compound in a range of pre-agreed proportions. This blending process was successful without any alteration. Upon completion, the resultant compound was put through the balance of the manufacturing process.

Upon the success of the process the tires have now been shipped for independent testing at the World Renowned Malaysian Rubber Board’s, Rubber Research Institute facility in Sg. Buloh http://www.lgm.gov.my/. Where they will be subjected to a two phase process:

First, the Institute will conduct a full range of tire lab tests which will include abrasion resistance. The tests will be carried out on both the original control tires in parallel with the tires containing the SRI Compound. Second,  SRI Compound based light truck tires will be tested and compared alongside the control units.

Further, the tires will also be installed on a commercial truck operating in real time conditions for their useful life under standard load. The vehicle will return to the Rubber Research Institute Tire Testing Lab, where results should show the compounds aligned with all the protocols in terms of kilometers run tests so that proper measurements may be taken.

SRI, through it’s partners and licensees, is positioned to become a major player in the international tire compound market.  SRI possesses unique technology and will soon be introducing it to the global market.

Gopi Sekhar, CEO of SRI, stated, “In an industry that has now come to terms with ever increasing raw material costs, both from natural and synthetic rubbers which are further exacerbated by very serious environmental concerns, in terms of the responsible management of the resultant used tire scrap, there has been no real solution that could adequately address either the backlog nor the growing annual accumulation that has it in a literal stranglehold.

All efforts thus far have either, in some way added to the already burgeoning global pollution problem or ended up being niche applications, which relative to the problem are irrelevant.

Today SRI has unveiled a technology and process which for the very first time can address both the accumulation of scrap tires and over time the enormous backlog. The SRI process is designed to match industry volume processes and conditions; it further lends itself easily to a full and wide range of applications as a real value added raw material. This makes it a very valuable cost saving raw material to manufacturers at a time that they really need it, while at the same time allowing them to be environmentally responsible by substantively and meaningfully addressing a very serious global pollution problem.”

RECAP FROM VIDEO 1 AND 2:

If you watch Video #1

Successful Production of SRI Compound in Full Commercial Scale

and then take Video #2

SRI Compound Successfully Blended in Actual Manufacturing Conditions

it will start to paint the big picture. By the time you watch the Video #3, released in today’s news, it clearly proves how SRI is making history and stands to have an enormous positive effect on the global market of rubber.