A lecturer from the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University has developed rocking traffic poles made of natural rubber that is highly flexible, withstands, and reduces impact while also resuming its original form immediately upon being run over. They are now being tested with the hopes that they can soon replace plastic traffic poles.
Traffic poles – round, orange poles with white reflectors are important in regulating road traffic to ensure that drivers keep to their lanes and that the lanes are clearly visible at nighttime. Oftentimes, however, these plastic poles get run over, leaving the debris on the road that can be hazardous to drivers who have to avoid them.
This is a problem that has led Associate Professor Dr. Sirilux Poompradub, Department of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University to develop and produce the natural rubber traffic pole which is a result of the collaboration with the Office of Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI) and the Siam United Rubber Co. Ltd. thai university
“The traffic poles currently in use are mostly made of plastic, they are light and are easily damaged when they get hit by a vehicle. We have developed a rocking pole from natural rubber that is more pliant and can better withstand impact.”
Natural rubber for the “rocking traffic pole”
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sirilux, most of the traffic poles currently in use are made of plastic materials which are light and brittle. Even if we have poles made from other materials that are more durable such as polyurethane or thermoplastic polyurethane, they aren’t very popular due to the high costs. Natural rubber seems, therefore, to be the most appropriate material.
“Natural rubber is highly pliable and can resume its form as soon as it gets hit or run over by a vehicle. It can also absorb the impact of road accidents.”
Nevertheless, natural rubber also has its weak point in that when it is exposed to heat and sunlight for an extended period, cracks will appear. So, she experimented and adjusted the formula to address this problem.
“We spent a lot of time adjusting the chemical formula to develop a highly flexible rubber pole that resumes its original form when hit by a vehicle and most importantly, is resistant to our climate and UV rays.”
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