Process and apparatus for the depolymerisation or degradation of natural or synthetic rubber in the crude state and for the regeneration of vulcanised or partly vulcanised rubber

摘要

Natural and synthetic rubbers in their unvulcanized or vulcanized state are depolymerized by exposing the rubber to rays from infra-red lamps or radiators. Preferably the rubber is heated to 180 DEG C. and treated with rays of wavelength 10,000-20,000 Angstrom units in an apparatus comprising a thermally-insulated chamber 1 coated internally with aluminium and fitted with a set of infra-red lamps 5 arranged in a horizontal plane below the material to be treated, which moves along on a metallic grate 6 which is supported by rollers 7 and 8.ALSO: Synthetic rubbers such as butyl rubber, chloroprene polymer, ethylenic polysulphides, polyisobutylenes and copolymers of butadiene with styrene are depolymerized by exposing the rubber to rays from infra-red lamps or radiators. Preferably the rubber is heated to 180 DEG C. and treated with rays of wavelength 10,000-20,000 Angstrom units in an apparatus comprising a thermally insulated chamber 1 (Fig. 1) coated internally with aluminium and fitted with a set of infra-red lamps 5, arranged in a horizontal plane below the material to be treated, which moves along on a metallic grate 6 which is supported by rollers 7 and 8.