DEPOLYMERIZATION OF TIRE AND NATURAL-RUBBER USING SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS

The recycling post-consumer polymers into useful feedstocks is important for both environmental and economic reasons; however, the processing of highly crosslinked polymers such as tire rubber constitutes a significant technical challenge. In this work, supercritical H2O and CO2 were used to controllably depolymerize tire and natural rubber. Molecular weight analysis of the degraded material indicates that reaction time can be used to control the degree of breakdown; materials in the molecular weight range of 10(3)-10(4) were obtained. Also, both material composition and supercritical fluid affect the rate at which material is depolymerized. Functional analysis of the processed material shows carbonyl and aromatic groups.