The use of waste tires is a very critical issue, considering their environmental and economic implications. One of the simplest and the least harmful methods is conversion of tires into ground tire rubber (GTR), which can be introduced into different polymer matrices as a filler. However, these applications often require proper modifications to provide compatibility with the polymer matrix. In this study, we examined the impact of GTR oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate on the processing and properties of flexible polyurethane/GTR composite foams. Applied treatments caused oxidation and introduction of hydroxyl groups onto the surface of rubber particles, expressed by the broad range of their hydroxyl numbers. It resulted in noticeable differences in the processing of the polyurethane system and affected the structure of flexible composite foams. Treatment with H2O2 resulted in a 31% rise of apparent density, while the catalytic activity of potassium ions enhanced foaming of system decreased density by 25% and increased the open cell content. Better mechanical performance was noted for H2O2 modifications (even by 100% higher normalized compressive strength), because of the voids in cell walls and incompletely developed structure during polymerization, accelerated by KMnO4 treatment. This paper shows that modification of ground tire rubber is a very promising approach, and when properly performed may be applied to engineer the structure and performance of polyurethane composite foams.
Keywords: compatibility; ground tire rubber; polyurethane foam; recycling; rubber modification.