PENANG, 15 May 2014 - The concept of turning waste material into useful products has captured the interest of the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Engineering researchers when they converted rubber waste into a sound absorbing material that has potential in various applications, particularly in the automotive industry.

A group of researchers from USM School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering headed by Professor Dr. Hanafi Ismail produced an innovative product called ECO-RubFOAM, a multifunctional foam produced from waste rubber material that is of very high quality and is proven better than existing products in the market.

Hanafi said his innovation was geared towards engineering technology that is capable of producing the final product of foam that can absorb sound to dampen noise and at the same time helps to overcome the problem of rubber-based wastes disposal.

He said the ECO-RubFOAM has many advantages because it is non-flammable and has anti-microbial properties which inhibit microorganisms’ growth.

“The technology was developed with processing methods using conventional equipment that are easy to use and cost-effective, and the converted waste material into foam rubber is 30 percent better than existing commercial products.

“It is not just better quality, production cost is also 30 percent lower than comparable commercial products because the technique used is easy and cost effective making it appropriate for larger scale production,” he said.

Hanafi said this at a press conference to introduce USM research products that competed in the 25^th International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX 2014) in Kuala Lumpur recently.

The press conference was chaired by USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Professor Dr. Muhamad Jantan.

USM performed brilliantly at ITEX 2014 as it took home a hundred percent of the medals when 19 of the 20 research products contested including ECO-RubFOAM being awarded the gold medal.

Two products also enjoyed multiple successes, one of which is ECO-RubFOAM which received the Special Award from the Asia Invention Association (AIA). USM also won a silver medal in the best exhibition booth category.

Hanafi also said that the innovation developed together with two other researchers, Indrajit Rathnayake and Nabil Hayeemasae, also proved to be four times more difficult to burn than the same product made ​​from Polyurethane (PU).

“This research was conducted within a period of three years with a Research University grant of RM200,000. This product is in the process of filing a patent and is expected to be commercialised in the near future,” he said.

Commenting on its commercialisation target, he said that ECO-RubFOAM is a boon to the car manufacturing industry, particularly in producing a sound absorbent material on engine parts and doors.

He pointed out that the use of ECO-RubFOAM is unlimited as it can also be used to dampen noise or reduce sound in many situations.

He added that the product has the potential to be commercialised as rubber production has increased to 26 million tons in 2012 from 18 million tons (2002), an increase that has given rise to the waste rubber products.

Some examples of the rubber waste include rubber gloves, tyres, rubber pipes, belts, shoes, and catheters. - Translation: Yong Check Yoon/Text: Marziana Mohamed Alias/Photo: Mohd. Fairus Md. Isa