Advances in natural rubber seed shell utilization in polymer technology

Abstract

The valorization of rubber seed shell into useful materials for industrial applications in polymer technology is of great interest. The usefulness of this material is borne out of the ease of processing; it’s readily available at low or no cost, and less abrasive to equipment. Literature and research reports have shown that rubber seed shell has gained applications in the adhesive industry as reinforcing additive, in electrode manufacturing, as filler in polymer composites, as sorbent in the uptake of heavy metals during waste water treatments, as starting material in the production carbon materials for value added products for the industry. However, there are still outstanding prospects in the utilization of this material in various areas of polymer technology such as a lignocellulosic source for the production of biodegradable foams, polymer gels, second generation bio-plastics and biofuels, and as surfactants. This review examines the results of a retrospective and prospective study in polymer technology of the latent properties inherent in rubber seed shell with particular emphasis on its utilization in polymer technology.

Effect of the production processed effluence on the environment: A case study of a typical brewery industry in Nigeria

“…About 70-80% of the worldwide environmental pollution is produced by the manufacturing sector [3]. Climate change, environmental pollution and energy shortages are among the problems faced as a result of production activities [4]. Although an increase in productivity is essential to reduce manufacturing costs, in terms of ecological impact, the rise in energy consumption and waste generation leads to an increase in CO2 emissions and other environmental problems.…”

The Production of Carbon Nanofiber on Rubber Fruit Shell-Derived Activated Carbon by Chemical Activation and Hydrothermal Process with Low Temperature

“…Some studies demonstrate the use of seeds as food, feed, and biofuel [ 24 , 25 ]. Several studies have utilized rubber seed shell (RSS) to produce high-quality activated carbon via physical activation with steam [ 26 ], a promising precursor of activated carbon for phenol removal from water [ 27 ], activated carbon as a potential CO2 removal, where the activation process is performed with malic acid [ 28 , 29 ] and the use of RSS as a filler in polymer technology [ 30 ]. While several studies employ rubber fruit shell (RFS) as a raw material, they include the production of activated carbon as a bio sorbent for removing free fatty acid (FFA) from crude palm oil (CPO) [ 6 ], producing activated carbon for wastewater treatment [ 31 ] and producing activated carbon as a pack carburizing medium in the heat treatment process [ 32 ].…”