Ground Tire Rubber Modified by Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymer: Processing, Physico-Mechanical Properties, Volatile Organic Compounds Emission and Recycling Possibility
Łukasz Zedler, Paulina Burger, Shifeng Wang, Krzysztof Formela
Abstract
Ground tire rubber (GTR) was reclaimed and modified with 10 phr of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer via low-temperature extrusion process. Processing, physico-mechanical properties, volatile organic compounds emission, and recycling possibility were investigated. In order to better understand the impact of used modifiers, their efficiency was compared with trans-polyoctenamer, which is an additive that is commercially dedicated to waste rubber recycling. The results showed that a relatively small amount of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer improves the mechanical properties of modified reclaimed GTR and also allows further recycling by multiple processing without the deterioration of performance after three cycles.