設在卡塔爾的得克薩斯農工大學(Texas A&M University)分校的一個由哈桑·巴茲(Hassan S.Bazzi)率領的科研小組，可能已經想出了一個用生物降解材料制造輪胎的辦法。假如他們的創意可行，興許能幫忙處置全球每年報廢的大概10億個輪胎所帶來的各種問題。

 

幾十年來，廢棄的橡膠輪胎不時充溢著填埋場并讓環境學家感到頭疼。例如，到目前為止還不分明輪胎降解須要多長工夫。就算它們最終可以降解，輪胎中含有的一些有害化學物質也會滲入土壤。

 

得克薩斯農工大學的鉆研人員認識到，他們可以將環戊烯分子（一種煉油的副產品）用作制造聚戊烯橡膠(polypentenamer)的單體，這種橡膠相似于天然橡膠。

 

他們正在停止試驗，鉆研新型合成橡膠是否可以與當今用于制造輪胎的其他材料與填料混合。

 

假如可行，鉆研人員或答應以發明一種和目前輪胎中所用的合成材料同樣鞏固的新型橡膠，但同時很容易停止生物降解及再利用。

 

該項目的首席科學家之一羅伯特·圖巴(Robert Tuba)表示，他們的目的是發明一種“對社區和環境都有益處”的材料。鉆研人員們說，他們已有一個產業合作搭檔，并希望用生物降解橡膠制造的輪胎最終能上路行駛。

 

Riding on biodegradable rubber tires?

New research may give old tires a new, environmentally-friendly future.

 

A research team led by Hassan S. Bazzi, at the Texas A&M University campus in Qatar may have come up with a way to make tires with biodegradable materials. If they are right, they might be able to help solve the myriad problems that come with the estimated 1 billion tires that wear out each year worldwide.

 

Leftover rubber tires have been the bane of landfills — and environmentalists — for decades. It’s unclear, for example, how long it takes for tires to decompose. And if they do eventually decompose, the tires contain some nasty chemicals that can leach into the soil.

 

The Texas A&M researchers realized they could string cyclopentene molecules — a byproduct of oil refining — together to make polypentenamers, which are similar to natural rubber.

 

They are conducting experiments to see if the new synthetic rubber can be mixed with other materials and fillers that go into the modern tire.

 

If it works, the researchers might be able to create a new kind of rubber that is as strong as synthetics that are used in current tires, but that is easy to biodegrade and reuse.

 

Robert Tuba, one of the lead researchers on the project, says the goal was to create something “that is good for the community and the environment.” The researchers say they have an industry partner and hope the biodegradable rubber will eventually hit the road.