Microwave treatment of vulcanized rubber

Patent · Tue Jul 16 00:00:00 EDT 2002

OSTI ID:940765

Wicks, George G ^[1]; Schulz, Rebecca L ^[1]; Clark, David E ^[2]; Folz, Diane C ^[2]

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1. Aiken, SC
2. Gainesville, FL

A process and resulting product is provided in which a vulcanized solid particulate, such as vulcanized crumb rubber, has select chemical bonds broken by microwave radiation. The direct application of microwaves in combination with uniform heating of the crumb rubber renders the treated crumb rubber more suitable for use in new rubber formulations. As a result, larger particle sizes and/or loading levels of the treated crumb rubber can be used in new rubber mixtures to produce recycled composite products with good properties.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Company
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• Assignee: Westinghouse Savannah River Company, LLC (Aiken, SC)
• Patent Number(s): 6,420,457
• Application Number: 09/542,201
• OSTI ID: 940765
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE