FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is Vulcana®?
Vulcana®’s rubbRe™ sheet rubber materials are made from discarded tires that are recycled into a versatile earth friendly material. Landfills overflowing with old tires take up valuable green space. In addition, used tires often become breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Vulcana® products offer and alternative to leather and durable fabrics. rubbRe™ can be used in the same applications in which you would use any other sheet rubber material but want to add a "green" component to an existing product. rubbRe™ and fuzun™ are manufactured for companies who design with an eye to the future.
All of our products are manufactured in the United States by people earning decent wages. Our devulcanized rubber comes from tires taken from US landfills. The rubber is compounded, calendered, and cured in the USA. No child labor or unfair trade practices are involved in the manufacturing of these goods.
2. How did you get the idea for rubbRe™?
Originally, Vulcana developed recycled materials and produced a line of handbags, and accessories. In 2007, we decided to develop materials for commercial and industrial uses.
3. Why "Vulcana®"?
The name "Vulcana" comes from the root word "Vulcan," the ancient Roman god of fire, blacksmithing and handicrafts. In addition, our sheet rubber has been "vulcanized"; which means it has been treated with heat and pressure, thereby imparting greater strength, elasticity and durability.
4. How is rubbRe™ made?
Tires taken from landfills in the USA are broken down into their component parts. The fibers and the metals are extracted and the rubber from the tires and is ground up into a crumb rubber. The crumb rubber is compounded with other materials and formed into a slab. The slab is then calendered into a sheet and then cured. Vulcana® received a patent on this process and the finished goods in 2003.
5. Can you make rubbRe™ in other textures and colors?
Presently, we can make rubbRe™ as thick as .125", but no thinner than .030". Vulcana® can also create most textures that you can imagine - the imprint of a corporate logo, or an ostrich or ridged texture. Vulcana® continues to experiment with new textures, colors and finishes.
Color can be mixed into the rubber compound, but the black tire crumb will never disappear entirely, especially since we’re trying to keep as much tire content in the mix as possible. We currently produce the sheet rubber material in black, blue, burgundy, grey, green and peanut sheet rubber using at least 30% car tire crumb in the compound.
6. Do your products smell like car tires?
Some sensitive people may notice a slight rubbery scent. Any such scent, however, fades with time. We feel that the initial rubbery scent reminds people that our products are made from car tires, and that by purchasing our products, they are making an eco-friendly gesture. Some skeptics have to be convinced that Vulcana® products are, in fact, made from car tires by taking a good, strong whiff of the material!
7. What are Vulcana®’s future plans?
We plan to continue our efforts in development and design of the finest materials made from used car tires on the planet! We plan to concentrate on finding new and innovative uses for recycled tires to do our part in depleting the landfills. We are also experimenting with other recycled materials to increase our product line of sustainable materials.
8. Why use hemp used in making the fuzun™ fabrics?
Hemp is an environmentally positive crop, actually improving the condition of the ground. Hemp is naturally resistant to most pests, precluding the need for pesticides. It grows tightly, out-competing any weeds, so herbicides are not necessary. Hemp fiber is also one of the strongest and most durable of all natural textile fabrics, outlasting the competition by many years. Hemp is naturally resistant to mold and ultraviolet light, and due to its porous nature it holds dyes longer. It is the first of our fuzun™ line of fabrics!
9. What is the standard width?
The standard width for the rubbRe™ is 56"; however, for specialty orders over 500 yards we have the ability to manufacture in minimum of 30" and a maximum of 120". The standard width for the hemp fuzun™ line is 56".
10. I have found other materials made from recycled tires; what makes Vulcana® different?
Vulcana® is made from tires that are "post consumer" waste. Yes, there are other companies that make a sheet rubber material made from car tires, but in most cases the tires are "post factory" waste meaning that the rubber has never "hit the road" for one reason or another -whether it be factory overruns; industrial waste from manufacturing the tire; defective tires, etc. Vulcana® takes pride in using materials that come from tires that have been "used".
Vulcana® strives to make a consistent material that offers the same quality that you would expect from a product that is manufactured using premium materials.
11. What are your minimums and lead times?
Our minimum is one yard. Lead times will vary depending upon our inventory. If the item is in stock we can ship within 7 business days. Items not in stock require a lead time of 12-14 weeks. We do have swatch books that provide a small sample of our each material in our line. Contact us to inquire about receiving a swatch book.