METHOD AND RELATED ARRANGEMENT FOR DEVULCANIZATION OF VULCANIZED RUBBER

摘要

A method for devulcanization of rubber feedstock comprises doping rubber feedstock with a photoactive substance 104, 110, configured to activate upon exposure thereof to external radiation of a predetermined wavelength; and further exposing cured rubber feedstock to the external radiation of said predetermined wavelength. Radiation exposure results, upon photoactive substance activation, in initiation of selective scission of intermolecular crosslinks, such as sulfur crosslinks, in the vulcanized rubber elastomers. The photoactive substance may be configured to initiate an excitation emission response and/or chemical reaction. The photoactive substance is preferably selected from semiconducting nanocrystals, such as quantum dots.