As the world grapples with the environmental challenges of discarded tyres, IIT Bombay researchers are developing sustainable solutions by repurposing waste rubber into innovative construction materials. Nilesh Wadhwa reports on how their work not only aims to mitigate landfill waste but also offers unique thermal, electrical and structural benefits for future infrastructure.

With over a billion tyres discarded globally each year, the world faces an escalating crisis in managing tyre waste. Beyond the mounds of rubber in landfills, the environmental and health hazards from tyre degradation, microplastics and toxic emissions are profound. However, a team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is charting a sustainable path forward. By transforming waste tyres into innovative construction materials – Rubcrete, which is a form of concrete mixed with shredded waste tyres. This is said to not only provide strength to the material but also make it more environmentally friendly. The idea is to turn an environmental problem into a valuable resource for civil engineering.

In an interaction with Tyre Trends, Prithvendra Singh, a principal researcher at IIT Bombay, explained the motivations behind this ground-breaking research. “The main aim of this research was to address the dual challenge of excessive end-of-life tyre (ELT) accumulation and the unsustainable depletion of natural aggregates due to ever-rising demand in infrastructural development,” he stated.

By converting waste rubber into engineered rubber aggregates (RA) and rubber-plastic blends (RPB), the team seeks to not only reduce landfill dependency but also enhance the sustainability of construction materials.

This pioneering approach is timely. The sheer scale of tyre waste, with millions of tonnes generated annually, has far-reaching consequences. Tyres are durable, non-biodegradable and pose serious fire hazards.

“One of the most overlooked issues is the generation of microplastics and toxic volatile compounds through tyre wear and tear, degradation, weathering or fires. Landfilled rubber fires can take months to extinguish and result in the emission of carcinogenic gases. These pose risks to human health and ecosystems, and their long-term contamination potential – especially via water, soil and air – is often overlooked in conventional waste management frameworks,” emphasised Singh.

FROM LAB TO FIELD

The IIT Bombay team’s research has revealed promising properties in both RA and RPB, which could revolutionise the use of secondary materials in civil engineering.

Singh elaborated on the mechanical characteristics, “RA and RPB exhibit significantly lower stiffness and higher deformability than natural aggregates, which makes them suitable for specific geoenvironmental applications but limits their use under high structural loads.”

While these properties may exclude them from load-bearing infrastructure, they open up opportunities in other areas. “Despite their lower mechanical strength, both materials demonstrate promising insulation characteristics and environmental safety under controlled conditions,” Singh added.

Thermal and electrical insulation capabilities are where these materials truly shine. “Both RA and RPB have superior thermal resistivity compared to standard sand, confirming their suitability for thermal insulation. Electrically, dry RPB shows the lowest conductivity, making it highly suitable for electrical insulation applications. Both materials also act as excellent dielectric materials over a broad frequency range,” Singh explained.

These characteristics make them ideal for construction projects where insulation and resistance to extreme temperatures or electrical fields are critical, such as in utility corridors or specialised building applications.

However, the journey from laboratory research to real-world applications is not without its challenges. “The lower stiffness of RA leads to higher vertical deformation under applied loads, making them less suitable for high-load applications such as base layers of highways,” Singh pointed out.

“However, they are ideal for lightweight fill applications like embankments or drainage layers, where flexibility and energy absorption are more beneficial than stiffness,” he added.

This insight highlights the potential for using RA and RPB in applications where traditional materials fall short, such as in earthquake-prone regions or on unstable soils where flexibility can mitigate damage. The process of creating RA and RPB depends heavily on the methods used to shred and process waste tyres.

SHREDDING METHODS: BALANCING COSTS AND PERFORMANCE

Singh outlined the pros and cons of various shredding technologies. “Ambient shredding is cost-effective but produces rough-surfaced particles, which exhibit better interaction in cement and polymer composites,” he noted. “Cryogenic shredding yields smoother particles with a broader size distribution but poorer bonding characteristics, and the created particles are generally suitable for turf or sports surfaces. Water-jet grinding offers finer control over particle size but comes at high energy and equipment costs.”

Each method results in materials with distinct properties, influencing their performance in construction applications.

Real-world validation is a crucial step in advancing this technology. To this end, IIT Bombay has partnered with GRP India, a leader in rubber recycling.

“We are currently collaborating with GRP to venture into production and field applications of these sustainable aggregates,” Singh revealed. “This partnership provides a foundation for scaling up through industrial-grade shredding, blending and real-world performance validation.”

These collaborations not only bring academic research closer to commercial implementation but also offer a model for future partnerships between academia and industry.

Of course, environmental safety remains a central concern in adopting new construction materials, especially those derived from waste. Leaching of metals and organic contaminants can pose long-term risks if not properly managed.

Singh’s team addressed these concerns through rigorous testing. “ICP-AES analysis showed that heavy metals like Pb and Zn are present in low concentrations, well within permissible limits,” he reported. “Previous studies corroborate that such materials typically stay within permissible toxicity limits under standard conditions. However, long-term leaching behaviour under varied field conditions remains necessary to confirm safety under varying environmental exposures.” This underscores the need for comprehensive testing and monitoring to ensure environmental safety.

THE ROAD AHEAD

Looking forward, IIT Bombay’s research agenda is ambitious. Singh described plans for further experimentation to expand the applications of RA and RPB. “We are currently planning long-term loading-unloading experiments and elevated temperature testing to establish the thermo-mechanical response of RA and RPB under realistic field stresses,” he said. “These experiments aim to address limitations in durability data and expand application potential. Also, future experiments will simulate realistic landfill environments, including interactions with leachate, microbes, humidity and temperature, to understand long-term behaviour.” Such studies will be essential for certifying these materials for broader use in civil engineering.

Could tyre-derived materials eventually replace traditional aggregates in certain applications? Singh is optimistic. “Yes, particularly in non-structural or semi-structural applications such as leachate drainage layers, landfill covers, thermal insulation barriers and lightweight embankments. The lightweight, high porosity and insulation capabilities of the RA and RPB present unique advantages that traditional aggregates cannot provide,” he said.

This vision aligns with global efforts to promote circular economies and reduce reliance on finite natural resources.

Responding to his expectations from the industry, Singh stated that stakeholders need to support the integration of sustainable materials into mainstream construction.

“The message I would like to convey to the academicians, tyre industry stakeholders and policymakers is to embrace innovation through cross-sectoral collaboration. Sustainable solutions like RA and RPB not only offer environmental remediation but also open new markets for green construction materials. With the right policy incentives, certification frameworks and industry support, we can mainstream these materials and accelerate the transition towards a circular, resilient economy,” he said.

IIT Bombay’s work exemplifies how innovative research, when coupled with industry collaboration and policy support, can turn a pressing environmental problem into a sustainable solution. By reimagining waste as a resource, Singh and his team aim to not only address the tyre waste crisis but also lay the groundwork for more resilient and eco-friendly infrastructure in the future.

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OTR Engineered Solutions has named Oscar Torres as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective 5 January 2026. With over 25 years of executive leadership, primarily within private equity–backed aerospace aftermarket firms, Torres possesses substantial industry expertise.

His extensive career was largely spent at Kellstrom Aerospace, where he progressed through roles such as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and ultimately Chief Executive Officer. In these capacities, he was instrumental in enhancing operational performance and fostering sustainable growth. His strategic direction included overseeing several acquisitions and divestitures, which solidified the company's position as a premier global supply-chain solutions provider for a wide range of aviation clients.

Torres's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Accounting from Florida International University and an MBA from the University of Miami. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. The organisation anticipates that his leadership will guide OTR in maintaining its commitment to delivering high-quality solutions and exceptional service to its clientele.

Hector Ramirez, Interim President of OTR, said, “Oscar’s proven leadership, collaborative approach, and deep industry knowledge make him exceptionally well suited to lead OTR into its next phase of growth. We are excited to welcome him and are confident in the value he will bring to our customers, partners and stakeholders.”

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The Indian Rubber Institute (IRI), a not-for-profit professional body focussing on the tyre and rubber industry, is set to host ‘IRI-CON’26’, a two-day conference aimed at addressing the sector’s evolving technological and sustainability priorities.

The event scheduled on 30^th January 2026, will be held in Vadodara, Gujarat, underscoring the state’s growing importance as a hub for elastomers and rubber-related manufacturing.

Led by eminent technocrats and industry leaders, IRI has played a pivotal role for decades in advancing technical education, skill development and professional excellence across the tyre and rubber value chain. A large proportion of technical professionals in these industries are lifetime members of the institute, contributing through voluntary service, knowledge sharing and technical engagement.

IRI has also been instrumental in training candidates for the DIRI and PGDIRI programmes, with examinations conducted by IIT Kharagpur since their inception.

The choice of Gujarat as the host state is significant. The region is home to major tyre manufacturers including Apollo Tyres, CEAT, BKT, MRF and JK Tyre, alongside key suppliers of carbon black, silica, textiles and rubber chemicals. Vadodara, in particular, has emerged as an important centre for rubber and allied industries, making it a strategic venue for the conference.

The theme of IRI-CON’26, ‘Unlocking the Potential of Sustainable Developments in Rubber and Allied Industries,’ reflects the industry’s increasing focus on sustainability, resource efficiency and responsible manufacturing. The conference is expected to bring together professionals from manufacturing, R&D, academia and allied sectors, offering a platform for technical exchange, collaboration and dialogue on future-ready solutions.

With regulatory pressures, material innovations and environmental expectations reshaping the sector, IRI-CON’26 is positioned as a timely forum to align industry stakeholders on sustainable growth pathways for India’s tyre and rubber ecosystem.

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The Indian Rubber Institute (IRI) has confirmed Vijay K Misra as its new Chairman following a formal election. With a distinguished career spanning nearly 50 years in the tyre and rubber sector, Misra possesses extensive expertise in technology, product development, international collaborations and major greenfield projects.

His deep industry connections and proven leadership are anticipated to steer the IRI through its next period of growth and enhanced impact. The Institute also formally acknowledged Misra's pivotal role in founding the Dr D Banerjee Centre of Excellence in Mysuru, a premier hub for advanced training and industry-academia synergy.

Concurrently, sincere appreciation was extended to outgoing Chairman Dr R Mukhopadhyay for his valuable guidance, as he continues to support the Institute in the role of Chairman Emeritus.

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Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has announced that its Board of Directors has approved a forthcoming change to its representative leadership at a meeting on 25 December 2025, pending formal ratification at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for 26 March 2026.

The shift is part of a planned reorganisation of the company’s management framework effective from that date. Under the new structure, current Director and Senior Executive Officer Yasuaki Kuniyasu is slated to be appointed as the new Representative Director, President and CEO. Concurrently, the present President and CEO, Satoru Yamamoto, is expected to transition to the role of Representative Director and Chairperson of the Board.

Yasuaki Kuniyasu, aged 56, began his career with the company in April 1992. His tenure includes significant leadership roles, such as General Manager of the Tyre Technology Headquarters and, from January 2023, General Manager of the Corporate Management Planning & Administration Department. He has served as a Director and Senior Executive Officer since March 2023 and held 8,400 shares in the company as of 30 June 2025.

This planned succession aims to establish a renewed executive team to guide the company forward under its new governance model.

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