Ground Tire Rubber Sulfur Bridge Realignment for Virgin-Like Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to effectively transform end-of-life tire rubber into a commercially viable product with properties similar to virgin composite rubber, limiting its reuse and recycling potential.
Innovation Solution
A process involving an interlinked substitution method using an aqueous chemical solution and an electromagnetic-mechanical system to realign sulfur bridges in vulcanized rubber particles, creating a crosslink-realigned, monolithic structure with properties analogous to original tire rubber, suitable for reuse in new tire production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ground tire rubber particles are directly reused in new tire production, then recycling efficiency is improved, but the resulting product fails to achieve properties equivalent to virgin rubber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical structure of ground tire rubber through controlled sulfidic metathesis reactions. By adjusting reaction parameters such as temperature, catalyst concentration, and reaction time, the crosslink density and molecular weight distribution are optimized to achieve virgin rubber-equivalent properties while maintaining high recycling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers valuable sulfur bonds from discarded tire rubber through controlled degradation and reformation. The process selectively breaks existing sulfur crosslinks and reforms them with optimized structure, transforming waste rubber into high-quality recyclate that maintains elastic properties comparable to virgin rubber
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional recycling methods are used to process end-of-life tire rubber, then processing simplicity is maintained, but the ability to transform rubber into commercially viable product is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces controlled chemical parameter changes through sulfidic metathesis reactions, using catalysts and specific temperature ranges to transform ground rubber into a commercially viable product with tailored properties suitable for various applications including new tire production, asphalt modification, and rubber compounding
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs sulfur-containing compounds as intermediaries to facilitate the transformation of ground tire rubber. These intermediaries enable controlled re-crosslinking and property adjustment, bridging the gap between simple mechanical recycling and complex chemical reconstruction to achieve commercially viable products
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process enables the transformation of end-of-life tire rubber into a form that can be reintroduced into new tire production, achieving properties equivalent to those of virgin rubber, thus addressing the recycling challenge and providing a sustainable solution for tire rubber reuse.
Implementation Method 1
introducing an aqueous slurry comprising vulcanized rubber particles and an organometallic compound into an electromechanical reactor configured to generate a phase space environment with cavitation, so as to induce delamination of a rubber matrix within the vulcanized rubber particles as coordinated with disrupting sulfidic linkages
Implementation Method 2
introducing an aqueous slurry comprising vulcanized rubber particles and an organometallic compound into an electromechanical reactor configured to generate a phase space environment with cavitation
Implementation Method 3
The process utilizes a reactive component that interferes with sulfur bonds. The resulting rubber, subjected to interlinked substitution, exhibits properties similar to those of the virgin composite rubber structure prior to being granulated
Data Source
AI summary
Crumb rubber obtained from recycled tires is subjected to an interlinked substitution process. The process utilizes a reactive component that interferes with sulfur bonds. The resulting treated rubber exhibits properties similar to those of the virgin composite rubber structure prior to being granulated, and is suitable for use in fabricating new tires, engineered rubber articles, and asphalt rubber for use in waterproofing and paving applications.