Continuous Devulcanization by Shear Flow Stage Reaction Control Technology for Rubber Recycling, Part 9.

Devulcanization and Chemical Modification with Maleic Anhydride of Sulfur Cured Rubber by Shear Flow Stage Reactor

Abstract

Continuous devulcanization technology by the shear flow stage reactor for sulfur cured rubber has been developed. As an application of this technology, chemical modification with maleic anhydride (MAH) of sulfur cured EPDM and IIR has been performed in the devulcanizing process. MAH was able to be grafted onto both kinds of rubber. The degree of grafting of MAH was 0.05 to 0.06wt% for EPDM, 0.06 to 0.09wt% for IIR, respectively. These values correspond to 1/2 to 1/10 for some commercial acidic modified EPR or EPDM. As sol fraction and the degree of swelling, the MAH grafted devulcanized rubber (EPDM-g-MAH, IIR-g-MAH) was comparable to those of the unmodified rubber. The resulting EPDM-g-MAH has been used to binary nylon-6/EPDM-g-MAH blend by melt mixing. The EPDM-g-MAH dispersed micrometer order in the blend.