Ground tire rubber (GTR) was processed using an auto-thermal extrusion as a prerequisite to green reclaiming of waste rubbers. The reclaimed GTR underwent a series of tests: thermogravimetric analysis combined with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and static headspace and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SHS-GC-MS) in order to evaluate the impact of barrel heating conditions (with/without external barrel heating) on the reclaiming process of GTR. Moreover, samples were cured to assess the impact of reclaiming heating conditions on curing characteristics and physico-mechanical properties. Detailed analysis of the results indicated that the application of auto-thermal extrusion is a promising approach for the sustainable development of reclaiming technologies.
Keywords: auto-thermal extrusion; extrusion; reclaimed rubber; reclaiming/devulcanization; recycling; structure-property relationships; waste tires.