Researchers say they have created a new synthetic rubber that could be used to make biodegradable tires. A team at Texas A&M University’s campus in the Gulf nation of Qatar is testing the synthetic rubber. One of the researchers, Robert Tuba, said the goal is to find a way to make fully recyclable tires. Rubber tires thrown into landfills decompose very slowly. They are a fire risk and can release chemicals into the soil. If they collect water, they can also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The research team discovered a by-product of the oil refining process called cyclopentene. This was combined with a polymer to make a substance very similar to natural rubber. The new synthetic rubber is being tested to see if it can be mixed with metal and other materials now used in making tires.
Title: Research Breakthrough for Biodegradable Tires?
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/biodegradable_tires.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Research Breakthrough for Biodegradable Tires?' data-article-id='1841'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='10854'>Researchers say they have created a new synthetic rubber that could be used to make biodegradable tires.</span> <span data-start-time='10854' data-end-time='22875'>A team at Texas A&M University’s campus in the Gulf nation of Qatar is testing the synthetic rubber.</span> <span data-start-time='22875' data-end-time='35063'>One of the researchers, Robert Tuba, said the goal is to find a way to make fully recyclable tires.</span> <span data-start-time='35063' data-end-time='42875'>Rubber tires thrown into landfills decompose very slowly.</span> <span data-start-time='42875' data-end-time='49646'>They are a fire risk and can release chemicals into the soil.</span> <span data-start-time='49646' data-end-time='57792'>If they collect water, they can also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.</span> <span data-start-time='57792' data-end-time='68354'>The research team discovered a by-product of the oil refining process called cyclopentene. </span> <span data-start-time='68354' data-end-time='78104'>This was combined with a polymer to make a substance very similar to natural rubber.</span> <span data-start-time='78104' data-end-time='89708'>The new synthetic rubber is being tested to see if it can be mixed with metal and other materials now used in making tires.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/biodegradable_tires.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=7099 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/what_does_biodegradable_mean.m4a'>What does biodegradable mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='able to break down without harming the environment'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/to_place_in_a_garbage_dump.m4a'><span>to place in a garbage dump</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/able_to_break_down_without_harming_the_environment.m4a'><span>able to break down without harming the environment</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/not_able_to_be_broken_down_naturally.m4a'><span>not able to be broken down naturally</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/to_realse_toxic_chemicals.m4a'><span>to release toxic chemicals</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=7100 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/what_type_of_rubber_is_used_to_make_them_biodegradable.m4a'>What type of rubber is used to make them biodegradable?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='synthetic'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/thick.m4a'><span>thick</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/synthetic.m4a'><span>synthetic</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/thin.m4a'><span>thin</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/colored.m4a'><span>colored</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=7101 data-hint-location='35063' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/rubber_tires_thrown_into_landfills__blank__very_slowly.m4a'>Rubber tires thrown into landfills <span class='blank'>decompose</span> very slowly.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='decompose'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/burn.m4a'><span>burn</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/deflate.m4a'><span>deflate</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/decompose.m4a'><span>decompose</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1354/pile_up.m4a'><span>pile up</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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