Bio: Linda is a research scientist currently working for the Brazilian pulp & paper company, Suzano, and is based at one of their research centers in Vancouver, Canada. She obtained a PhD in Polymer Science at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2014 and completed a Post-Doc at the University of Alberta, Canada in 2017. Her scientific background includes areas of olefin polymerization and polymer characterization as well as developing novel polymers for oil sands tailings treatment. She has approximately 13 years of combined industry experience at Sasol Polymers and Suzano Canada, working with both synthetic and natural polymers. Her current research is focused on developing applications for Suzano’s biomaterials in elastomers.
Abstract: Sustainability is a significant challenge at various points in the rubber industry which includes the sourcing of greener materials, fewer toxic emissions during use and disposal and management of end-of-life products. Natural materials used as rubber fillers could potentially improve the overall sustainability of the compounds, while being non-toxic, and renewable however it is difficult to match the performance of the current state of the art materials like virgin carbon blacks or silica. Natural and recycled filler typically have larger particle sizes (reduced surface areas) than conventional fillers and this, combined with the polar functionalities (found in lignin and cellulose) impairs filler dispersion and ultimately reinforcement. We present here the evaluation of Suzano’s bioproducts, including lignin and micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC), as renewable by-products from kraft pulping, in a variety of rubber matrices and formulations. Some potential was observed in the partial replacement of carbon black in bromobutyl (BIIR) formulations, where lignin showed unexpected cure effects, resulted in an increased state of cure and reinforcement. We also focused on the optimization of bio-filler introduction and dispersion in rubber and identified some additional areas where these natural materials provided unique performance benefits, thus enhancing the potential for sustainability without compromised performance.