The Possibility of Using Grafted Waste Rubber

Abstract

Abstract With the addition of 20 phr of BR granulate grafted with ethyl acrylate by the redox or gamma irradiation method to polyacrylic rubber compound, the properties of the rubber worsened, but remained within the range of properties characteristic for these types of rubber. The stability of rubber against swelling in hot mineral oil was satisfactory even when 30 phr of grafted granulate was added to polyacrylic rubber. It can be concluded that polybutadiene granulate when grafted with ethyl acrylate, gains some properties characteristic for polyacrylic rubber due to the introduction of polar groups into the polymeric chain of the BR rubber. This might also be the reason why polybutadiene granulate grafted with ethyl acrylate could be in no case added to polybutadiene rubber regardless of the grafting method. No attempt was made so far to evaluate the economical aspects of grafting waste rubber and the real possibility of using grafted granulate on a large scale.