Mechanisms Involved in the Recycling of NR and EPDM

1999 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 731-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. L. Verbruggen ◽  
L. van der Does ◽  
J. W. M. Noordermeer ◽  
M. van Duin ◽  
H. J. Manuel

Abstract The thermochemical recycling of natural rubber (NR) and ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) vulcanizates with disulfides was studied. NR sulfur vulcanizates were completely plasticized when heated with diphenyldisulfide at 200 °C. It could be concluded that both main chain scission and crosslink scission caused the network breakdown. NR peroxide vulcanizates were less reactive towards disulfide at 200 °C, and only reacted through main chain scission. For EPDM a temperature range of 200–275 °C was studied. In the presence of diphenyldisulfide at 200 °C there was almost no devulcanization of EPDM sulfur vulcanizates, and at 225 and 250 °C there was only slightly more devulcanization. A decrease in crosslink density of 90% was found when 2×10−4 mol diphenyldisulfide/cm3 vulcanizate was added and the EPDM sulfur vulcanizates were heated to 275 °C. EPDM peroxide vulcanizates showed a decrease in crosslink density of ca. 40% under the same conditions. The lower reactivity of EPDM towards disulfide compared with NR is the result of higher crosslink densities, the presence of a higher percentage of more stable monosulfidic crosslinks and the fact that EPDM is less apt to main chain scission relative to NR.

2016 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Ostad Movahed ◽  
Ali Ansarifar ◽  
Sara Estagy

ABSTRACTRubbers do not decompose easily, and therefore, disposal of rubber waste is a serious environmental concern. Raw material costs, diminishing natural resources, and the growing awareness of environmental issues and sustainability have made rubber recycling a major area of concern. Reclaiming and recycling rubber waste is a major scientific and technological challenge facing rubber scientists today. This article reviews a number of important areas related to the reclaiming, characterizing, testing, and recycling of rubber waste. These include chemical and microbial devulcanization with particular emphasis on main chain scission and kinetics of chemical devulcanization reactions; the cutting-edge techniques for reclaiming devulcanized rubber waste by the action of large shearing forces, heat, and chemical agents: and analytical techniques and methods for characterizing composition and testing of devulcanized rubber waste, respectively. In addition, some aspects of the recycling of devulcanized ethylene–propylene–diene rubber (EPDM) waste will be reported. EPDM is used extensively in automotive components worldwide, and recycling the rubber at the end of its useful service life is of major importance to manufacturers of automotive components.


2016 ◽  
Vol 705 ◽  
pp. 45-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarawut Prasertsri ◽  
Pranee Nuinu ◽  
Sansanee Srichan ◽  
Siriwat Radabutra ◽  
Chaiwute Vudjung ◽  
...  

This research aims to investigate the efficiency of polybutadiene-grafted maleic anhydride (PB-g-MAH) as the compatibilizer for ethylene-propylene diene rubber and epoxidized natural rubber (EPDM/ENR) blends. PB-g-MAH was varied from 0-10 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr), and the cure characteristics, mechanical and dynamic properties of 70/30 EPDM/ENR blends with and without compatibilizer were evaluated. It was found that the minimum torque, maximum torque, scorch and cure times of the blends increased after adding PB-g-MAH, whereas cure rate decreased. The morphology of the blend is improved by the addition of PB-g-MAH in small amounts, owing to an improved compatibility of these rubbers confirmed by dynamic mechanical property. The hardness and oil resistance increased with increasing PB-g-MAH content. Of all blends investigated, the blend compatibilized with 2-4 phr of PB-g-MAH shows the optimum mechanical properties and thermal resistance.


2008 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 650-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crittenden J. Ohlemacher ◽  
Gary R. Hamed

Abstract Black-filled natural rubber, with an inefficient sulfur cure, was aged at 90 °C and 110 °C under nitrogen, with and without applied strain. Samples aged under strain became “double networks” and retained a residual extension ratio. The crosslink density of samples passed through a maximum with increasing severity of aging. Presumably this arises because the thermally labile, polysulfidic crosslinks break, and new crosslinks of lower rank form, resulting in increased crosslink density; but, when aged at 110 °C, this is offset by chain scission and other main-chain modifications. For double networks, it is proposed that a second network, which tends to keep samples extended, is formed at the expense of crosslinks in the original, first network. Unaged and single network samples were isotropic in tensile behavior and only slightly anisotropic in swelling behavior. For double networks, swelling and tensile properties were anisotropic, and there was some evidence that parallel specimens have increased ability to strain-crystallize. The observed anisotropies in double networks are proposed to arise from the chain orientation that persisted after double network formation.


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