Abstract: A process for the recycling of silicones, especially silicone rubber and/or silicone oils, by the chemical transformation thereof to silanes and/or siloxanes having acetoxy groups is described, wherein silicone rubber and/or silicone oils are subjected to a heat treatment in digestion systems comprising acetic anhydride and/or acetoxysiloxane, and at least one Brønsted acid, with addition of acetic acid.

Abstract: Vulcanized rubber, for example from used tires, can be devulcanized to provide a reaction product that has similar rheological properties to the original un-vulcanized rubber. The vulcanized rubber is processed at a temperature that is less than a critical temperature of a solvent, such as water or water and alcohol. The process is carried out at a pressure that is higher than the vapor pressure of the solvent.

Abstract: A process for forming a vulcanized elastomer composition. An alternating electric field is applied to a first composition comprising vulcanized crosslinked elastomer particles while the composition is compressed to thereby devulcanize the crosslinked elastomer particles and form a second composition comprising devulcanized elastomer particles A crosslinking agent is added to the second composition comprising the devulcanized elastomer particles. The second composition having the crosslinking agent is then vulcanized to form the vulcanized elastomer composition.

Abstract: A thermoset composite material that my used in the fabrication of structural components including railroad ties comprise a substantially homogeneous blend of an amount of vulcanized rubber particles including a predetermined ratio of different particles sizes, and a thermoset elastomeric binding agent added to the vulcanized rubber particles. The blend may comprise about 30% to about 97% by weight of the vulcanized rubber particles, and the blend is subjected to compression molding at a predetermined temperature and pressure for a resident time period forming the composite material. The ratio of different rubber particle sizes is selected so that the composite material has a desired density or is within a range of desired densities.

Abstract: A thermoset cross-linked elastomer material, such as scrap tire rubber, is devulcanized by subjecting the material to a mechanical mixing process in the presence of 0.5 to 2% by wt. of an organic catalyst having a thiol terminus.

Abstract: Partial oxidation of crumb rubber derived from environmental hazardous waste tires yields surface treated crumb rubber which are used as blending stocks for making rubberized concrete with substantially improved mechanical strength as compared to the conventional rubberized concrete. The chemically more active rubber surface becomes hydrophilic, so it interacts with the hydrophilic surface of surrounding cement matrix much stronger. The mechanically improved rubberized concrete is more versatile than conventional rubberized concrete.

Abstract: A thermoset cross-linked elastomer material, such as scrap tire rubber, is devulcanized by subjecting the material to a mechanical mixing process in the presence of 0.5 to 2% by wt. of an organic catalyst having a thiol terminus.

Abstract: A process for making a carbonaceous material and a carbonous residue from scrap tires is disclosed. Tires are digested in an oil product. Steel and glass fibers are separated. A product enhancing additive comprising halogen based organic or inorganic compounds is added. The resulting carbonaceous material is then cured to create the final product. The produced carbonous residue is well suited for capture of mercury. The present invention has the benefits of providing a use for scrap tires that would otherwise require disposal in a landfill, and also produces a product useful for capturing a harmful element, thereby providing multiple environmental and economic benefits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preferentially breaking cross-links in a vulcanised rubber, thereby de-vulcanising the rubber, by the use of a supercritical fluid, such as carbon dioxide. The supercritical fluid maintained at an appropriate solubility parameter, swells the vulcanised rubber to a state of equilibrium swell. The cross links (3) become fully extended and under strain to hold the internal pressures caused by the solvent swelling affect of the supercritical gas. When equilibrium swell has been achieved, the pressure within the processing vessel is rapidly dropped to a level of not less than 60% of the level at which saturation took place, causing a degassing and expansion of the supercritical fluid that has been absorbed within the vulcanised rubber. The resulting three dimensional separation of the rubber molecules will put a further rapid strain on the cross links, causing them to break (7), thereby giving the affect of de-vulcanization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preferentially breaking cross-links in a vulcanized rubber, thereby de-vulcanizing the rubber, by the use of a supercritical fluid, such as carbon dioxide. The supercritical fluid maintained at an appropriate solubility parameter, swells the vulcanized rubber to a state of equilibrium swell. The cross links become fully extended and under strain to hold the internal pressures caused by the solvent swelling affect of the supercritical gas. When equilibrium swell has been achieved, the pressure within the processing vessel is rapidly dropped to a predetermined level causing a degassing and expansion of the supercritical fluid that has been absorbed within the vulcanized rubber. The resulting three dimensional separation of the rubber molecules will put a further rapid strain on the cross links, causing them to break, thereby giving the affect of de-vulcanization.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preferentially breaking cross-links in a vulcanized rubber, thereby de-vulcanizing the rubber, by the use of a supercritical fluid, such as carbon dioxide The supercritical fluid causes swelling of the said vulcanized rubber material, wherein the time of swelling is not more than 50% of the time required for full volume equilibrium swelling of the rubber in said supercritical fluid and the swelling is followed by a rapid reduction of the supercritical fluid pressure The cross links (3) become fully extended and under strain to hold the internal pressures caused by the solvent swelling affect of the supercritical gas When equilibrium swell has been achieved, the pressure within the processing vessel is rapidly dropped to a predetermined level causing a degassing and expansion of the supercritical fluid that has been absorbed within the vulcanized rubber The resulting three dimensional separation of the rubber molecules will put a further rapid strain on the cross l

Abstract: A surfacing composition made of recycled paint, which requires no priming, has a non-reflective “flat” appearance, and is partially composed of dried paint. The composition provides a useful application for used or excess household paint, which would otherwise require special methods of disposal and potentially create future toxic cleanup problems. The composition is made of granular dried paint and a water-based sealer, which can be spread on a surface to repair imperfections. The surface can then be finished, and no priming is required. Due to the composition's flat appearance, the patch does not display any characteristic sheen where the repair has been made. The composition provides a simple means of recycling paint, and provides a simple and inexpensive means of repairing imperfections in walls and other surfaces while saving the step of priming the patch before painting or repainting.

Abstract: A pulverized thermoplastic resin product such as a pulverized thermoplastic product containing a black pigment, a mixture of a pulverized thermoplastic product containing a colored pigment and a pulverized thermoplastic product containing a colored pigment, or a pulverized thermoplastic product containing two or more different colored pigments can be converted into colored reclaimed resin particles by a method comprising the steps of mixing the pulverized resin product with a white pigment and a black pigment, melting the resulting mixture, and converting the molten mixture into solid particles. The colored reclaimed resin products can be utilized in various field.

Abstract: A process for making a carbonous residue from scrap tires is disclosed. Tires are digested in an oil product. Steel and glass fibers are separated. A product enhancing additive comprising halogen based organic or inorganic compounds is added. The resulting carbonaceous material is then cured to create the final product. The produced carbonous residue is well suited for capture of mercury. The present invention has the benefits of providing a use for scrap tires that would otherwise require disposal in a landfill, and also produces a product useful for capturing a harmful element, thereby providing multiple environmental and economic benefits.

Abstract: Recycled resin is produced by a method including a dismantling/recovery step of dismantling products containing resin moldings and recovering the resin moldings, a removal step of removing unwanted matter including metal components from the resin moldings, a sorting step of discriminating the materials of the resin moldings, and a crushing step of crushing the resin moldings. The method further includes, prior to the crushing step, detecting the metal components, and, after the crushing step, separating out and thus removing metal remaining in crushed material.

Abstract: A method of making a sorbent from waste rubber and a method of sorbing oil using such sorbent. Approximately two pounds of modifier is added to 100 pounds of vulcanized rubber waste, the modifier comprising a mixture by weight of (i) a slightly water-soluble organic acid having a melting point of 70° C. or higher representing 80%, (ii) quinine group bases representing 19% and (iii) 1% of an anti sliding ingredient such as colophony, running the mixture of rubber waste and modifier in a roll mill approximately six times to crush it and placing the crushed modified rubber particles in an extruder for 2-10 minutes at 120-150° C. The sorbent can then be applied to oil to sorb six times its own weight in oil. The sorbent can be re-used two more times after extracting the oil. The sorbent is also effective at filtering oil from water.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the delulcanization of rubber. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for the hydro-devulcanization of vulcanized rubber utilizing a rubber swelling solvent, a source of reactive hyrogen and elevated temperature and, optimally, also uses a dispersed molecular-scale hydrogenation catalyst that is introduced into the vulcanized rubber in a catalytically inert form that is soluable in the rubber swelling solvent.

Abstract: Vulcanized rubber is devulcanized by contacting the vulcanized rubber with a terpentine liquid in a reaction mixture in the absence of an alkali metal.

Abstract: The invention relates to articles of manufacture, such as for example, tires and industrial products, which have at least one component comprised of a rubber composition which contains particles of pre-sulfur vulcanized rubber (e.g. ground recycled rubber) and impure tetrathiodipropionic acid, namely a blend comprised primarily of tetrathiodipropionic acid and trithiodipropionic acids of a weight ratio thereof in a range of about 80/20 to about 30/70. Said blend is referred to herein as an S4/S3 blend. The S4/S3 blend may be introduced directly to a rubber composition or may be provided as particles of a composite of said S4/S3 and a particulate support therefor for a purpose of aiding the dispersion of the S4 and S3 within the elastomer host. Representative of such support, or carrier, may be, for example, silica, particularly amorphous precipitated silica, carbon black, clay, starch, calcium carbonate, calcium silicate, titanium dioxide and the like, wherein carbon black is preferred.

Abstract: A process for reclaiming sulfur-cured, vulcanized rubber by combining finely ground scrap vulcanized rubber within a specialized, twin-screw extruder capable of providing strong shearing and just-on-time mixing; adding a reclaiming agent to the extruder; and masticating the rubber scrap and reclaiming agent within the extruder until the rubber scrap is devulcanized. The present invention also discloses a unique composition of reclaiming agent, which preferably includes the following compounds: accelerators TBBS, ZMBT, MBT, and TMTM; activators zinc oxide and stearic acid; and zinc salts of fatty acids and sulfur. The reclaimed rubber is suitable for use in producing high-grade, rubber products without adding a binder, or for combining with fresh rubber compounds to produce high-specification rubber products.

Abstract: A moldable heterogeneous composite material has a continuous plastic phase (30) and a discrete phase of unground rubber (20) dispersed in the continuous phase. The composite material can be formed from thermoplastic or thermosetting materials and pieces of rubber from used tires. The composite material of the present invention can be molded in a process having the steps of providing a flowable melt of plastic material (50), providing unground rubber pieces (70), mixing the plastic material with the rubber pieces to form a composite material, and molding the composite material into an article (10) having a desired shape. Molded articles formed from the composite of the present invention have high rigidity and good durability.

Abstract: A method for producing a polypropylene blend from a plastic packaging materials containing high molecular weight polypropylene, other high molecular weight polymers such as polyethylene, low molecular weight polymers and other contaminants. The method includes extraction, solid-liquid separation and liquid-liquid phase separation using various organic solvents. The polypropylene blend has a purity of 95% and has favorable melt flow characteristics, while retaining satisfactory mechanical properties.

Abstract: Polymer are removed from organic solvent-polymer mixtures by preparing a liquid-liquid dispersion of finely dispersed solvent droplets containing polymer in water, adding this liquid-liquid dispersion to a stirred vessel containing water or other suitable liquid and rapidly evaporating the solvent to produce a slurry of the polymer in a liquid from which the solid polymer particles are recovered.

Abstract: The present invention is a recipe and method for combining Gilsonite and other asphaltites with curative elastomers that are powder granular form and which are added to asphalt. Second recipe and method is disclosed to create a dry liquid concentrate comprised of cured elastomers in combination with tall oil or other fatty acids and may also include Gilsonite to be added to asphalt.

Abstract: A mixer and method of using the mixer is disclosed in which a closed chambered vessel capable of both holding pressure and vacuum is charged with a mixture of elastomer and materials taken from the group of tall oil, fatty acids and residues of tall oil production. The charge mixture is heated under pressure without excessive friction heat. After the heating cycle, the mixer atmosphere is evacuated under vacuum, and then the mix is discharged.

Abstract: A process is provided to recover poly(arylene) sulfide from a poly(arylene) sulfide reaction mixture. In particular, a process is provided to recover poly(arylene) sulfide utilizing at least one extraction agent followed by vacuum drying.

Abstract: An acidic substance is added to a mixture containing a compound having epithio structures and a catalyst for curing the compound and the mixture is solidified. The mixture containing a compound having epithio structures and a catalyst for curing the compound can be mildly solidified for disposal.

Abstract: Compositions and techniques useful to effectively recycle crosslinked (i.e., vulcanized or cured) fluoroelastomers are disclosed. The invention utilizes an additive system that includes a cure-enhancing additive, a crosslinking agent, and an accelerator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for obtaining polyarylene sulfide from polyarylene sulfide-containing material. For this purpose, the polyarylene sulfide-containing material is treated with a solvent in which it dissolves, and is subsequently reprecipitated. The invention also relates to the purification of polyarylene sulfide-containing material by separating off extraneous substances, to polyphenylene sulfide particles having a specific surface area of at least 80 m.sup.2 /g and to their use as filter material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for obtaining polyarylene sulfide from polyarylene sulfide-containing material. For this purpose, the polyarylene sulfide-containing material is treated with a solvent in which it dissolves, and is subsequently reprecipitated. The invention also relates to the purification of polyarylene sulfide-containing material by separating off extraneous substances, to polyphenylene sulfide particles having a specific surface area of at least 80 m.sup.2 /g and to their use as filter material.

Abstract: A method for the production of an absorbent resin having a very small residual monomer content either by adding to an absorbent resin powder a substance capable of reacting with the residual monomer in the absorbent resin powder thereby forming an absorbent resin composition having a water content in the range of 10 to 70% by weight and heat-treating the absorbent resin composition at a temperature in the range of 100.degree. to 200 .degree. C. while retaining the water content of the absorbent resin or by adding to an absorbent resin powder a substance capable of reacting with the residual monomer in the absorbent resin powder thereby forming an absorbent resin composition having a water content in the range of 25 to 55% by weight, heat-treating the absorbent resin composition at a temperature in the range of 120.degree. to 200 .degree. C.

Abstract: A process for reclaiming elastomeric material from elemental sulphur-cured elastomeric material having a vulcanized network without using hexamethylene tetramine, by treating the sulphur-cured elastomeric material having a vulcanized network with one or more rubber delinking accelerators selected from the group of zinc salts of thiocarbamates and zinc salts of dialkyl dithiophosphates, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole or derivatives thereof, thiurams, guanidines, 4,4'-dithiomorpholine and sulphenamides, and a zinc oxide activator in an amount sufficient to act as an activator for the accelerator(s) to delink the elastomeric material at a temperature below 70.degree. C., whereby the vulcanized network is opened up or delinked to provide a curable reclaimed elastomeric material capable of being vulcanized without adding rubber vulcanizing chemicals.

Abstract: Filler-containing, cross-linked, vulcanized fluorine rubber waste is regenerated by treatment with at least one of CH.sub.3 SO.sub.3 H, ClSO.sub.3 H, CF.sub.3 SO.sub.3 H and fuming sulfuric acid, followed by dissoluting into a solvent and separating solvent-insoluble filler therefrom, whereby revulcanizable fluorine rubber is recovered from the fluorine rubber waste, almost irrespective of types of cross-linking systems used for formation of cross-linked, vulcanized fluorine rubber.

Abstract: A process for reclaiming cured or semi-cured rubber, by subjecting a mass of rubber to be reclaimed to a solvent effective to swell said mass, passing the formed swollen mass of rubber through restriction means having small openings, such as a perforated plate, deleterious or devulcanizing substances being comprised in at least one of said restriction means and said swollen mass of rubber.

Abstract: A dry liquid concentrate mixture is disclosed comprising crumb rubber particles and tall oil, tall oil derivatives or other fatty acids, which may be enhanced by other components, such as modifiers, for use to enhance the properties of parent materials, such as thermoplastic compounding and coatings and elastomers and recycles and asphalt and epoxies and aliphatic urethane.

Abstract: Dimethyl terephthalate is recovered from polymer mixtures containing polymers of terephthalic acid and glycol and a chloride polymer, by adding base to neutralize the hydrochloric acid formed by the degradation of the chloride polymer.

Abstract: A process and apparatus is provided for making a rubber-like product from rubber scrap, such as recycled tire scrap. The process includes mixing the rubber scrap with from 1 percent to 15 percent, with respect to the weight of the rubber scrap, of added sulphur, and applying a pressure thereto of about 1000 to 3000 pounds per square inch for 1 to 10 minutes at a temperature of from about 250 degrees F. to about 450 degrees F. In addition, 1 to 8 percent, with respect to the weight of the rubber scrap, of antioxidants and antiozonants are added to the mixture of rubber scrap and sulphur. The sulphur is free sulphur. Derivative sulphur compounds, or like vulcanizing agents, can be added in place of the free sulphur of about 1 to 45 percent of the weight of the rubber scrap. The rubber scrap is buffing of recycled tire rubber, or powder made from recycled tire rubber. An apparatus for carrying out the process is also provided.

Abstract: Rubber crumb is subjected to direct reclaiming by being mixed with a plasticizer and optionally also a peptizer and, under agitation and supply of a gas atmosphere with controlled oxygen content and at a temperature of 130.degree.-200.degree. C., heated at substantially atmospheric pressure to cause the rubber particles to react with oxygen and absorb .ltoreq.10, preferably 0.5-5 liters of O.sub.2 /kg of rubber particles.

Abstract: In a process for reclaiming sulfur-vulcanized rubber in the presence of oil, water vapor and aryl disulfide peptizer at elevated pressure and temperature, an improvement where said disulfide is obtained as a mixture also containing dissolved volatile mercaptan which comprises treating said disulfide mixture by distillation prior to its use in said reclaim process to remove said volatile mercaptan.