Have you ever thought about what happens to an
electrical mat once it gets old?
are they treated once they reach the end of their lifecycle?
Well, an electrical rubber mat is an essential safety gear. Hence, majority of the industries use them to ensure electrical safety.
Especially, in areas like Saudi Arabia, weather has a strong impact on these mats-making them wear faster. Although it has a tough build due to elastomer and other compounds present in it, extreme temperatures may disintegrate it.
Can you imagine the amount of waste generated when a facility decides to discard its existing batches of insulation matting?
Certainly, sounding like a massive threat to the environment! Isn’t it?
Do you want to know if there are some ways to make sure the electrical mats do not end up in landfills?
If you are interested in this topic- this piece of writing is for you.
Where is an electrical mat used?
Electrical hazards should not be ignored. From the loss of lives to assets- damages caused by electrical accidents often cannot be reversed.
However, precaution is a collective effort and it starts with installing appropriate safety equipment like an electrical rubber mat in every workplace.
Some areas in a factory or an outdoor facility in Saudi Arabia where it is necessary to use such protective safety equipment are:
Switchgear Rooms: around switchgear panels and circuit breakers
Control Rooms: control panels, PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), and motor control centres
Server Rooms: under server racks and raised floors to insulate against electrical hazards.
Laboratory Benches: on laboratory benches
Operating Tables: under operating tables in surgical theatres
Construction Sites: under temporary electrical distribution panels and power tools.
Electrical Panels: in front of electrical panels and distribution boards
Maintenance Bays: in maintenance areas where electrical equipment such as generators and transformers are serviced.
Train Depots: in train maintenance areas
Food Processing Equipment: Around electrical equipment such as mixers, grinders, and ovens
Marine Engine Rooms: in engine rooms of ships and offshore platforms
Outdoor Stages: Laid on outdoor stages during events to protect against electrical hazards from lighting and sound equipment
Residential Kitchens: under kitchen appliances like refrigerators and stoves to insulate against electrical faults.
Curious why should you use insulating mats? Click here to know!
Like all products, the electrical rubber mats also wear out and become obsolete. The real challenge begins then- what to do with an old electrical mat?
Here’s the solution:
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How is an Electrical Rubber Mat Recycled?
An electrical rubber mat can be easily recycled as they are made of rubber. The recycling of rubber mats for electrical panels includes several steps:
Collection and Sorting: At first old electrical mat rolls are collected from a facility. Many companies offering recycling services can collect them for you. Upon collection, the electrical mats are sorted according to their composition and type.
Cleaning and Prepping: Before moving on to the recycling process, the mat is thoroughly cleaned. Dirt, debris and other contaminants like oil or grease are removed from them. This step adds to the quality of an electrical safety mat.
Separation of materials: Insulated matting can be made of only rubber and also a combination of rubber and other compounds. Hence, it is very important to separate all these elements, to get a consistent quality of recycled rubber.
Shredding and grounding: Here comes the most crucial step of the insulating mat recycling process. In this step, the cleaned and prepped electrical mat is shredded into fine particles. The electrical mat is passed through a shredding machine for this purpose. Once it is broken into smaller pieces, it becomes easier to handle during the completion of the process.
Purification: Double quality check is performed during the recycling process, where the shredded electrical mats are once again purified. This is done because, sometimes contaminants like plastic can remain in the rubber fragments. If kept as it is and applied heat to it for further processing, the shredded rubber may catch fire. Additionally, it will also cause smoke, eventually altering the carbon balance.
Repurposing: Finally, the end product can be used in several things like making equestrian flooring, cow mats, playground mats or even rubberized asphalt for roads.
Are there any environmental benefits of recycling old electrical mats?
Well, of course there is:
Landfill Waste Reduction: By recycling electrical mats, we significantly reduce the volume of waste that ends up in landfills, mitigating the associated environmental hazards.
Conservation of Resources: Recycling helps conserve raw materials by reusing existing materials. This reduces the need for new resources, lowering the environmental impact of extraction and processing.
Energy Savings: The recycling process often consumes less energy compared to producing new materials from scratch. This leads to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to efforts against climate change.
Closing the Loop: How Duratuf Contributes to Sustainability
Electrical mats designed for recycling: Our IEC 61111 and ASTM D178 electrical mats are made from high-quality rubber. We make sure that our electrical safety matting options are easy to recycle once they reach the end of their lifecycle.
Raising awareness: We never fail to raise awareness about discarding an electrical rubber mat after a certain time. Furthermore, we encourage regular testing of an insulated mat to make sure that they are safe to use.
Material Recovery Programs: Our experts can help establish material recovery programs. We can guide you with ways how used electrical mats are collected from customers, industrial sites, and other sources. We have an office in UAE, where you can visit to have a detailed face-to-face discussion on insulating mats recycling.
Our mats even contribute to environmental sustainability, click here if you are curious to know.
The load of waste materials on the Earth is huge. Therefore, using environmentally friendly insulating mats is always a wise option.
By understanding the recycling process and the benefits it brings, we can make more informed choices and contribute to a circular economy. As we close the loop on waste, we not only protect our environment but also create opportunities for innovation and resource conservation.
Do you want technical guidance from our specialist team? Reach out to us now!
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