Color Fading Problem of Rubber Speed Humps

Q: Why do some yellow rubber speed humps fade quickly?

A: We always produce and install the rubber speed hump one section yellow and one section black, but some yellow sections fade quickly. It is caused by three main reasons.

1. Material

We use natural rubber and reclaimed rubber. Considering the cost, most rubber products are produced from reclaimed rubber. The yellow colour is not fresh and will not keep for a long time.

2. Additive

In order to manufacture good rubber speed humps, natural rubber material is not enough — the additive matters as well. We use different additives mixed with the rubber material, and the quality of the toner and the UV-anti composition are very important to the colour fading problem.

3. Cooking Time

The last reason is cooking time. There are different thicknesses of rubber speed humps: the thicker the product, the longer the cooking time required. For example, for a 5mm thickness product we always cook it over 20 minutes. If it is less than that, the colour will also fade faster than usual.

An Eighteen Month Comparison

The two speed humps in the picture had been outside together for over eighteen months when the photograph was taken.

• Material: A is made of natural rubber and B is made of reclaimed rubber.
• Additive: hard to tell from the outside.
• Cooking time: both were fine.

They are completely different after eighteen months, but eighteen months ago they looked similar.

We can also see that if we put some water on the speed hump, the colour becomes fresh again — yes, it is true. So if the speed hump is installed where there is a lot of rain, it keeps fresh better. And where many vehicles pass over the humps, the tyres grind the faded layer and the humps also keep fresh better.

Any rubber product will age. A good product stays in good condition for longer — no problem for two to three years in normal use. A poor product may fade after only two or three months.