Abstract: A process for producing reclaimed rubber has the steps of: mixing waste vulcanized rubber with unvulcanized new rubber and a devulcanizing agent; and kneading the resulting mixture in a heating atmosphere for mastication of the unvulcanized new rubber and simultaneously reclamation of the waste vulcanized rubber. Furthermore, the obtained unvulcanized reclaimed rubber can be vulcanized with a vulcanizing agent.

Abstract: Method of manufacture of paint and adhesive of rubber from vulcanized rubber that is reclaimed, becoming a product that provides impermeability, flexibility and resistance to the pellicle by process of reduction to small particles through cracking beater mills, immersed in adequate solvents and recovered in ball mills to which is added products such as dyeing, pigments, asphalts, oils, accelerators, resins, etc., which give to the paint or adhesive its final characteristics.

Abstract: The invention is a method of using enzymes from thiophyllic microbes for selectively breaking the sulfur rubber cross-link bonds in vulcanized rubber. The process is halted at the sulfoxide or sulfone step so that a devulcanized layer is reactive with virgin rubber.

Abstract: A process for recycling polyester contained in waste materials is provided. The polyester is converted into a corresponding acid salt of a polybasic organic acid and a polyol. The process steps generally include first combining materials containing polyester with an alkaline composition to form a mixture. The mixture is heated, causing the polyester to convert to the acid salt and polyol. The polyol is evaporated and separated from the acid salt.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for recycling resin scrap including a thermosetting resin paint film and a thermoplastic resin substrate as its major components, wherein the resin scrap is supplied into a passage of a cylinder, melted, and delivered by delivering means from an upstream side to a downstream side of the passage of the cylinder, and hydrolyzed by a hydrolyzing agent while forming a highly packed region with a resistor. The resistor restricts the resin scrap to flow from the upstream side to the downstream side in a short period of time, and forms the highly packed region where a contact efficiency is enhanced between the resin scrap and the hydrolyzing agent.

Abstract: A method of preparing an asphalt emulsion-rubber paving composition comprises combining an aqueous asphalt emulsion, water, latex rubber, minus 40 size rubber particles, and a thickening agent, mixing said materials at substantially ambient temperature to form a substantially homogeneous liquid composition, adding to said liquid composition between about 5 and about 15 pounds of aggregate per gallon of said gallon, and mixing the components at substantially ambient temperature to form such paving composition.

Abstract: A process for reusing a plastic article having a plastic body and a coating layer is discloses which includes the following steps: peeling the coating layer, formed on the plastic body, away from the plastic body by using a high pressure water jet stream; and pulverizing the plastic body for reuse. Hot water may be also used. Instead of the water, it is possible to use high pressure steam.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for reprocessing plastic wastes, in which the plastic wastes filled into vessels are autoclaved as coherent, porous bundles with high water absorption capacity in a steam atmosphere at approximately 150.degree. to 220.degree. C., preferably 165.degree. to 190.degree. C., and melted by this means, at the end of the autoclaving process, the resulting bodies of molten plastic are at least partly dried by re-evaporating the water contained therein and are cooled.

Abstract: A process for recycling polyester contained in waste materials is provided. The polyester is converted into ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. The process steps generally include first combining materials containing polyester with an alkaline solution to form a slurry. The slurry is heated, causing ethylene glycol to evaporate which can then be collected. The remaining product stream is then mixed with water and filtered to remove any undissolved impurities. The aqueous filtrate can be acidified causing terephthalic acid to precipitate. Further, if silver is contained within the materials fed to the process, the silver can also be isolated and recovered.

Abstract: A targeted particulate, synthetic organic plastic material having normally hydrophobic surface characteristics is separated from a mixture of two or more of such plastic materials by conditioning the mixture of plastic materials in a flotation cell with a heteropolar surfactant which has a hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) value greater than 5 and which selectively depresses the targeted plastic material by making the surfaces thereof more hydrophilic without substantially affecting the surfaces of the other plastic material(s) and introducing gas bubbles into the resulting conditioned pulp such that the gas bubbles selectively adhere to the surfaces of the other plastic materials(s) and cause them to float. The targeted plastic material is recovered in the cell product and the other plastic material(s) is recovered in the float concentrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for reactively separating hydrolyzable polymers, such as PET, in mixtures of the polymer and certain non-hydrolyzable polymers, specifically polyolefins by converting the hydrolyzable polymers to their corresponding water soluble components (e.g., PET to ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid) in the presence of liquid water at temperatures from about 200.degree. C. up to the critical temperature of water and autogenous pressure. The process has utility in recycling and waste material separation processes.

Abstract: Today there is a growing demand to recycle plastics including polyethylene terephthalate. Sources of polyethylene terephthalate for recycling often contain polyvinyl chloride. It is necessary to separate polyvinyl chloride from the polyethylene terephthalate before it can be recycled into useful products. This invention reveals a process for recovering polyethylene terephthalate flakes from a recycle stream containing polyethylene terephthalate flakes and polyvinyl chloride flakes which comprises: (1) treating the recycle stream with (a) at least one inorganic base selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide and (b) at least one nonionic surfactant under conditions and for a time sufficient to decrease the contact angle of the polyethylene terephthalate flakes with water below a value of 25.degree. while maintaining the contact angle of the polyvinyl chloride flakes above a value of about 45.degree.

Abstract: A process for recycling and reblending dry, difficult to hydrate polymer fines into a water-swellable fluid absorbent polymer gel is disclosed. The process requires feeding the dry polymer fines into a first mixing zone where they are subjected to spraying with water that at least partially hydrates the fines and mixing, substantially simultaneously with the water contact, at high shear such at the fines are substantial completely hydrated without agglomeration. The hydrated fines are then transported from the first zone into a second mixing zone where blending of the hydrated fines with fresh polymer gel occurs at medium shear such that a substantially uniformly blended product results. The resulting process successfully re-introduces fines into the main product stream wherein the resulting product has high aqueous fluid absorbent capacity and good particulate mechanical integrity.

Abstract: A process of separating vinyl skin from a foam backing and recovering the separated components by granulating the plastics composite into small chips, mixing the chips with a quantity of water in a vessel to swell and break the cell structure of the foam at the foam/vinyl interface resulting in flotation of the foam bits and sinking of the heavier vinyl bits. The separated foam is recovered by adding additional water to flow the foam material from the mix vessel. The vinyl is then removed from the bottom of the vessel and the separated components are dried for recycling or improved disposal purposes.

Abstract: A method for reconstituting superabsorbent polymer fines comprising the following steps: wetting the superabsorbent polymer fines sufficient to form a continuous amorphous gel of the fines; grinding the gel; and drying the gel which has been around to form a superabsorbent polymer material. Drying can optionally be followed by grinding and classification of the reconstituted superabsorbent polymer fines to desired sizes.

Abstract: A method of recovering a solid flowable polymer medium that is capable of being used as a pressurizing medium for high temperature molding from contaminants. A polymer mixture containing contaminants that was a solid flowable polymer medium prior to exposure to temperatures in excess of about 316.degree. C. during its use as a pressurizing medium is disposed in a solution. The solution has a specific gravity greater than the solid flowable polymer medium. The solid flowable polymer medium is separated from the surface of the solution and contamination settles to the bottom.

Abstract: Rubber based adhesives containing liquid stereospecific polybutadiene rubber, one or more hardeners or hardener systems, fillers and optionally primers, which contain one or more chemically irreversibly depolymerized solid rubbers of natural or synthetic origin in quantities of from 1.5 to 5% by weight, based on the sum of the constituents, to a process for the production of these low-viscosity rubber-based adhesives by chemically irreversible depolymerization of one or more solid rubbers of natural or synthetic origin, and to the use of these low-viscosity rubber-based adhesives in the bonding of metal components in automotive manufacturing.

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.

Abstract: A process for regenerating a resin, comprises the steps of dissolving a waste resin in an organic solvent to provide a resin solution, mixing the resin solution with a liquid of normal temperature, the liquid being immiscible with the solvent, scarcely dissolving the resin, and having a specific gravity smaller than that of the solvent and larger than that of the resin, thereby separating the resin from a mixture of the resin solution and the liquid, and recovering the resin. The liquid may have a temperature higher than the boiling point of the solvent. In this case, the solvent evaporation takes place together with the resin separation. The evaporated solvent is cooled later for recovery of the solvent.

Abstract: Reclamation of vulcanized rubber is effected by a method which comprises heating powdered vulcanized rubber to a temperature for desulfurization of the rubber and, on completion of the desulfurization, quickly cooling the desulfurized rubber to a temperature at which substantially no oxidation of desulfurized rubber proceeds. This method obviates otherwise indispensable incorporation of process oil or other similar additive to the powdered vulcanized rubber for the purpose of retarding the oxidation of rubber molecules. When the reclaimed rubber obtained by this method is blended with newly supplied rubber, the resultant vulcanized rubber shows sparing degradation of physical properties.

Abstract: A process for recovering materials from scrapped film is described which comprises separating coating layers and a film base from a scrapped film having at least one coating layer on a plastic film base in a sheet or web form, wherein the improvement comprises:impregnating the coating layers of said scrapped film with a strong alkaline solution and stripping the coating layers by means of high pressure jet water to separate said coating layers from the film base before the coating layers are dissolved in or separated from the film base by said alkaline solution.