Claims
- 1. A process for regeneration of rubber to form a vulcanizable rubber mass, said process consisting essentially of the steps of:
- providing a mass consisting essentially of vulcanized rubber in finely divided form in an apparatus for applying mechanical forces to rubber comprising a stationary chamber and a single rotor shaft carrying a rotor element having a tip, said element being rotatable in the chamber at a tip speed of at least about 20 meters per second;
- subjecting said mass to mechanical working that applies impact forces to said mass by rotating said element at a tip speed of at least about 20 meters per second, said mechanical working being sufficient to regenerate said rubber without degrading said rubber, such that a vulcanizable rubber mass is formed exhibiting on curing a tensile strength of at least 35% that of similarly cured virgin rubber compound.
- 2. A process according to claim 1 wherein said impact forces dissipate energy in said mass at a rate of from about 1,000 to 145,000 watts per 100 g of the weight of said mass.
- 3. A process according to claim 2 wherein said rate is about 4,000 to about 35,000 watts per 100 g.
- 4. A process according to claim 1 wherein said rubber is tire crumb.
- 5. A process according to claim 4 wherein said tire crumb is passenger tire crumb.
- 6. A process according to claim 4 wherein said tire crumb is derived from heavy service tires.
- 7. A process according to claim 1 wherein said rubber has a particle size about 4 to about 200 mesh.
- 8. A process according to claim 7 wherein said particle size is about 6 to about 100 mesh.
- 9. A process according to claim 1 wherein said impact forces raise the temperature of said mass at a rate of about 5.degree. C./sec to about 60.degree. C./sec.
- 10. A process according to claim 9 wherein said rate is about 10.degree. C./sec to about 50.degree. C./sec.
- 11. A process according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical forces include impact forces.
- 12. A process according to claim 1 wherein said rotor element comprises generally radially extending mixing elements rotatable about an axis.
- 13. A process according to claim 11 wherein said tip speed is about 25 to about 50 meters/second.
- 14. A process according to claim 1, wherein said mass is subjected to mechanical working in the absence of a vulcanization inhibitor.
- 15. A process according to claim 1, wherein said mass is subjected to said mechanical working in the presence of a vulcanization inhibitor.
- 16. A process for regeneration of rubber to form a vulcanizable rubber mass, said process consisting essentially of the steps of:
- providing a mass consisting essentially of vulcanized rubber in finely divided form in an apparatus for applying mechanical forces to rubber comprising a stationary chamber and a single rotor shaft carrying a rotor element having a tip, said element being rotatable in the chamber at a tip speed of at least about 20 meters per second;
- subjecting said mass to mechanical working that applies impact forces to said mass by rotating said element at a tip speed of at least about 20 meters per second to dissipate energy in said mass at a rate of not less than about 1000 watts per 100 g of said mass, said mechanical working being sufficient to regenerate said rubber without degrading said rubber, such that a vulcanizable rubber mass is formed exhibiting on curing a tensile strength of at least 35% that of similarly cured virgin rubber compound.
- 17. A process for regeneration of rubber to form a vulcanizable rubber mass, said process consisting essentially of the steps of:
- providing a mass consisting essentially of vulcanized rubber in finely divided form in an apparatus for applying mechanical forces to rubber comprising a stationary chamber and a single rotor shaft carrying a rotor element having a tip, said element being rotatable in the chamber at a tip speed of at least about 20 meters per second;
- subjecting said mass to mechanical working that applies impact forces to said mass in said apparatus by rotating said element at a tip speed of at least about 20 meters per second to dissipate energy in said mass at a rate of not less than about 1,000 watts per 100 g of mass, said mechanical working being sufficient to regenerate said rubber without degrading said rubber, such that a vulcanizable rubber mass is formed exhibiting on curing a tensile strength at least 35% that of similarly cured virgin rubber compound.
- 18. A process according to claim 17, wherein said working dissipates energy in said mass at a rate of from about 1,000 to 145,000 watts per 100 g of the weight of said mass.
- 19. A process according to claim 18, wherein said rate is about 4,000 to about 35,000 watts per 100 g.
- 20. A process according to claim 17, wherein said rubber is tire crumb.
- 21. A process according to claim 20, wherein said tire crumb is passenger tire crumb.
- 22. A process according to claim 20, wherein said tire crumb is derived from heavy service tires.
- 23. A process according to claim 17, wherein said rubber has a particle size about 4 to about 200 mesh.
- 24. A process according to claim 23, wherein said particle size is about 6 to about 60 mesh.
- 25. A process according to claim 17, wherein said working raises the temperature of said mass at a rate of about 5.degree. C./sec to about 60.degree. C./sec.
- 26. A process according to claim 25, wherein said rate is about 10.degree. C./sec to about 50.degree. C./sec.
- 27. A process according to claim 17, wherein said mass is subjected to mechanical working in the absence of a vulcanization inhibitor.
- 28. A process according to claim 17, wherein said mass is subjected to said mechanical working in the presence of a vulcanization inhibitor.
- 29. A process according to claim 12, wherein the tip speed is about 20 to 70 meters/second.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 08/161,341 filed Dec. 6, 1993, abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (21)
Number |
Date |
Country |
457307 |
Jun 1949 |
CAX |
479941 |
Jan 1952 |
CAX |
514450 |
Jul 1955 |
CAX |
541309 |
May 1957 |
CAX |
737540 |
Jun 1966 |
CAX |
924849 |
May 1973 |
CAX |
941553 |
Feb 1974 |
CAX |
1028796 |
Mar 1978 |
CAX |
1029889 |
Apr 1978 |
CAX |
1052063 |
Apr 1979 |
CAX |
1069079 |
Jan 1980 |
CAX |
1152249 |
Aug 1983 |
CAX |
1187669 |
May 1985 |
CAX |
2053789 |
Oct 1991 |
CAX |
074344 |
Sep 1981 |
EPX |
571784 |
Sep 1945 |
GBX |
610812 |
Oct 1948 |
GBX |
1568357 |
May 1980 |
GBX |
2076404 |
Dec 1981 |
GBX |
WO 8605192 |
Sep 1986 |
WOX |
WO 9114552 |
Oct 1991 |
WOX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (18)
Entry |
Modern Plastics Encyclopedia, pp. 345, 348, Oct. 1989. |
Abstracts: SU 433163, 1974. |
SU 424865-A, 1974. |
GB 1568357-A, 1980. |
J 55-098235-A, 1980. |
SU 1183381-A, 1985. |
Abstracts: DD 216474-A, 1985. |
FR 2462459-A, 1981. |
SU 747560-B, 1980. |
J 77028830-B, 1977. |
SU 1458364-A, 1989. |
WO 9201745-A, 1992. |
J 54006083-A, 1979. |
J 60067117-A, 1985. |
SU 433165-A, 1976. |
J 52077185-A, 1977. |
Derwent AN 84-282735 C 46| Abstract of East German Patent Publication DD-A-211575. |
Derwent AN 93-043483 CO5| Abstract of Soviet Union Patent Publication SU-A-717 381. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
161341 |
Dec 1993 |
|