In this research, several environmental issues related to rubber compounds were
researched. First the use o f alternative additives for ethylene-propylene diene monomer
(EPDM) use in wire and cable applications were studied. This included the use of
hydrotalcite as an alternative to lead stabilizers and the replacem ent of Ziegler-Natta
based EPDM w ith metallocene based EPDM to reduce the amount o f catalyst residue
thought to cause poor electrical properties. Second, the use o f organoclay as a
replacement for halogenated flame retardant additives. For this case, the dispersion o f
organoclay is the one o f the most important factors in replacing halogenated flame
retardant additives. The effect o f several com patibilization approaches on the dispersion
was studied. Finally, methods for recycling natural rubber scrap were studied.