Using a facile method to predict properties of recycled waste nitrile rubber (NBR) through devulcanization

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Science
• Rubber Technology

Background:

• Devulcanization of rubber is crucial for recycling but predicting properties of recycled materials remains challenging.
• Understanding the relationship between molecular changes and material properties is key to developing reliable prediction models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a reliable method for predicting the properties of devulcanized nitrile rubber (NBR).
• To establish numerical relationships between chain scission/crosslink breakage and property degradation in NBR.

Main Methods:

• Prepared NBR samples with varying molecular weights (via mastication) and crosslink densities (via vulcanization).
• Experimentally evaluated physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of prepared NBR samples.
• Modeled devulcanization as chain scission and crosslink breakage, deriving numerical relationships for property changes.

Main Results:

• Established numerical relationships quantifying the impact of chain scission and crosslink breakage on NBR properties.
• Successfully predicted properties like hardness, modulus, and molecular weight for NBR samples undergoing both degradation types.
• Calculated properties showed close agreement with experimentally evaluated values, validating the prediction method.

Conclusions:

• The developed method provides a reliable approach for predicting the properties of devulcanized NBR.
• The established numerical relationships are effective in modeling the complex degradation processes during devulcanization.
• This research contributes to advancing rubber recycling technologies through accurate property prediction.