Material Recycling Technology of Crosslinked Rubber Waste

A new material recycling technology for crosslinked rubber was developed using the continuous reactive processing method. In this process of producing reclaimed rubber, breakage of crosslinking points in the crosslinked rubber occurs selectively under the controls of shear stress, reaction temperature, and internal pressure in a modular screw type reactor. Deodorization during the process has also become possible by a newly developed method. The reclaimed rubber obtained from rubber waste generated from both manufacturing products and post-consumer products shows excellent mechanical properties applicable to new rubber compounds. Furthermore, an enhanced rubber recycling process for producing thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) based on rubber waste has been established. The TPE obtained exhibits highly recoverable rubber elasticity and mechanical properties comparable to commercial TPE. It is expected that the rubber recycling technology developed during this study will contribute to protecting the environment and also saving resources.