Background
Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) sheets are synthetic rubber materials widely used in applications such as roofing membranes, seals, and gaskets due to their durability, flexibility, and weather resistance. The manufacturing process of producing EPDM sheets involves dusting their surfaces with fine, non-reactive powders such as mica or talc. This creates a thin lubrication barrier that reduces stickiness to itself and to equipment, making handling and transportation easier. Dusting also prevents adhesion, protects sheets during curing and storage, and reduces surface defects.
Despite these benefits, the dusting process can pose challenges, including environmental and health risks, such as potential hazards from powder inhalation. Additionally, the final product is not aesthetically clean and requires an additional cleaning process to remove residue for optimal bonding to substrates (e.g., insulation boards) during sheet installation as a roofing membrane.
What we're looking for
We are looking for solutions to eliminate dusting during the EPDM curing process. This could involve changes to the manufacturing process, modifications to the EPDM formulation, or other approaches.
Solutions of interest include:
- Environmentally friendly spray-coatings and/or anti-tack agents
- Chemical additives that could act as a lubrication barrier
- Thin films or coatings that can temporarily prevent self-adhesion of EPDM rubber
- Alternative curing process
Our must-have requirements are:
- No major changes to the process or formulation that compromise physical properties requirements, such as tensile, elongation at break, specific gravity, tear strength, hardness
Our nice-to-have's are:
- Achieves the desired goals with minimal changes in formulation and process
- No significant increase in manufacturing costs
Email Swapneeta Date, CTTC Assistant Director of Life Sciences Collaborations, at Swapneeta.Date@Vanderbilt.edu for more information.