Ultrasonic Devulcanization of Scrap Tire Rubbers: Science and Engineering

本研究的主要目的是发展基础知识和设计高容量的设备，为新的超声波技术再生轮胎橡胶（GRT）。 在早期的研究中已经发现，通过在特殊装置中应用一定水平的超声波振幅，增强和非增强硫化弹性体中的三维网络可以在几秒钟的短时间内被破坏，导致脱硫。 作为最理想的结果，超声处理的GRT变得柔软，从而使橡胶能够再加工、成型和单独再硫化或与原始橡胶和塑料共混。（2）研究了超声波对丁苯橡胶、天然橡胶、丁二烯橡胶、（3）研究了炭黑对超声波作用下各模型橡胶及其混炼胶的机械力化学反应的影响;（4）研究超声波处理对各模型硫化胶与生胶并用胶再硫化后力学性能的影响;（5）建立能够获得具有高机械性能的脱硫GRT基材料的最佳加工条件;（6）发展橡胶网络降解的理论，并发展反应器的计算机模拟，以帮助扩大该过程。

The main objective of this research is to develop basic knowledge and to design the high capacity equipment for the new ultrasonic technology of recycling ground tire rubber (GRT). It has been discovered in the earlier research that through the application of certain levels of ultrasonic amplitudes in special devices, the three-dimensional network in reinforced and non-reinforced vulcanized elastomers can be broken down leading to devulcanization within a short period of time of the order of a few seconds. As the most desirable consequence, ultrasonically treated GRT becomes soft thereby enabling the rubber to be reprocessed, shaped, and revulcanized alone or in blends with virgin rubbers and plastics.The study outlines a series of tasks enabling: (1) the design of new equipment for continuous ultrasonic devulcanization of GRT; (2) the identification of the effect of powerful ultrasound on structure and properties of model unfilled and carbon black filled styrene-butadiene, natural, butadiene, and EPDM rubber vulcanizates and their mixtures which are the constituents of GRT; (3) to reveal the effect of carbon black on the ultrasonically induced mechanochemical reactions in each model rubber and their mixtures; (4) to investigate the effect of ultrasonic treatment of each model rubber vulcanizates on the mechanical properties of their blends with virgin rubber upon revulcanizations; (5) to establish the optimal processing conditions enabling one to obtain the devulcanized GRT-based materials with high mechanical properties; (6) to develop the theory of rubber network degradation and to develop computer simulations of the reactors as an aid to scaling the process.