Green Chemical Devulcanization Systems

Zaheer Ul Haq and Shifeng Wang

Location

Royal Society of Chemistry

Abstract

Rubber recycling has drawn increasing attention globally, due to escalating raw material costs, environmental concerns, and non-renewable resources. Waste management faces significant challenges in dealing with waste rubber products and end-of-life tires, emerging as a prominent issue in the 21st century. Approximately one billion tires, equivalent to around 12.5 million tons, are projected to be discarded annually worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for proper disposal strategies. The vast quantity of discarded tires cannot undergo ecological recycling through biological degradation, decomposition, or hydrolyzation, owing to the highly crosslinked chemical structures of rubbers. The presence of additives and stabilizers further complicates the recycling processes, posing potential threats to human health and the environment. Therefore, implementing sustainable waste management strategies by considering both environmental and economic perspectives is urgently needed. Various rubber recycling methods have been explored; one of the less favored approaches being incineration for energy retrieval. This method has been linked to widespread environmental harm, constraints of resources, and negative economic impact. Pyrolysis is also often used for waste rubber treatment, which subjects end-of-life tires to pyrolysis to produce gas, oil, and chemicals; however, the recovery of hydrocarbon monomers or oligomers is not feasible in practice. An optimal approach involves the separation of materials to create rubber composites. Devulcanization or reclamation is a process designed to attain properties similar to those of virgin rubbers. This enables the reuse of waste rubber in the production of various rubber products, including tires, belts, and bitumen modification for road-asphalt mixtures. The devulcanization involves breaking down the crosslinked networks of a vulcanizate, transforming it into a state where it can be revulcanized. However, the intricate compositions and the associated competitive processes, such as main chain scission and recombination chain reactions, have complicated the industrial reclaiming process. Among the various devulcanization methods reported to date, chemical devulcanization has emerged as a promising solution. This process involves the selective cleavage or modification of the sulfur crosslinks in vulcanized rubbers, breaking down the rigid network structure and restoring the rubber properties. By effectively reversing the vulcanization process, chemical devulcanization allows for the recovery and reuse of rubber materials that would otherwise end up as waste in landfills. Chemical devulcanization processes generally involve chemical solvents, reactive additives, and different depolymerization techniques. These methods aim to introduce controlled cleavage of the sulfur bridges while minimizing damage to the polymer chains, ensuring that the devulcanized rubber retains its essential mechanical and chemical properties. Factors such as energy consumption, chemical usage, waste generation, and emissions during the devulcanization process can significantly shape the overall ecological footprint. It is imperative to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impact of chemical devulcanization. Green chemical devulcanization prioritizes sustainability by emphasizing practices that mitigate adverse environmental effects. This entails thoughtfully selecting chemicals, optimizing energy utilization, reducing emissions, and ensuring responsible waste management throughout the entire devulcanization life cycle. The pressing need to embrace green chemical devulcanization methods arises from the aspiration to transition towards circular economies and sustainable waste management practices. By incorporating eco-friendly approaches, we can optimize the advantages of rubber recycling while mitigating the ecological impact associated with the devulcanization process. This strategy aligns with global initiatives aimed at addressing climate change, advocating resource efficiency, and cultivating a more sustainable rapport between industry and the environment. This chapter provides an exploration of green chemical devulcanization systems, offering a comprehensive overview of the keymethodologies such as thermo-oxidative methods, bioremediation, and the utilization of supercritical fluids as mediums for chemical devulcanization. It also provides details about the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used devulcanizing agents in the chemical devulcanization of waste tire rubber.

Let's make the use of biobased and recovered raw materials the new standard.

Let's make the use of biobased and recovered raw materials the new standard.

Let's make the use of biobased and recovered raw materials the new standard.