ASTM approves new silica standard for the production of rubber

W. Conshohocken, PA – ASTM International’s committee on rubber and rubber-like materials committee (D11) has approved a new standard that will aid the use of silica technology in the production of rubber products.

The new standard (D8471) covers raw materials, formulation, and mixture procedures for the evaluation and quality control of silica and related technologies, such as silanes and functionalized polymers, in a standardized rubber compound.

“This practice is needed for the silica technology in rubber compounds,” says ASTM member Jorge Lacayo-Pineda. “A reference compound is required for quality control of production, for research and development purposes, and for comparison of different raw materials involved, such as different silica types of organo-silanes.”

The new standard will also be used by rubber manufacturers and testing laboratories to prepare reference compounds for experiments, to confirm the day-to-day reliability of testing operations used in the rubber industry, for the evaluation of experimental compounds, and for quality control of production compounds.

This effort directly relates to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #13 on climate action.

“Silica technology for ‘green’ tires has considerably contributed to saving fuel, thereby reducing the impact on the environment by reduction of carbon dioxide emissions,” says Lacayo-Pineda.