Combination biological and microwave treatments of used rubber products

Patent · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:874522

Fliermans, Carl B ^[1]; Wicks, George G ^[2]

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1. Augusta, GA
2. Aiken, SC

A process and resulting product is provided in which a vulcanized solid particulate, such as vulcanized crumb rubber, has select chemical bonds altered by biotreatment with thermophillic microorganisms selected from natural isolates from hot sulfur springs. Following the biotreatment, microwave radiation is used to further treat the surface and to treat the bulk interior of the crumb rubber. The resulting combined treatments render the treated crumb rubber more suitable for use in new rubber formulations. As a result, larger loading levels and sizes of the treated crumb rubber can be used in new rubber mixtures and good properties obtained from the new recycled products.

• Research Organization: WESTINGHOUSE SAVANNAH RIVER CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-96SR18500
• Assignee: Westinghouse Savannah River Company, LLC (Aiken, SC)
• Patent Number(s): US 6407144
• OSTI ID: 874522
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/521/204/435/522/
altered
biological
biotreatment
bonds
bulk
chemical
chemical bond
combination
combined
crumb
following
formulations
hot
interior
isolates
larger
levels
loading
microorganisms
microwave
mixtures
natural
obtained
particulate
process
product
products
properties
provided
radiation
recycled
render
result
resulting
resulting product
rubber
select
selected
sizes
solid
springs
sulfur
surface
thermophillic
treat
treated
treatments
vulcanized