Method of recycling rubber

A method of recycling a vulcanized rubber compound comprising:

• a. grinding said vulcanized rubber compound into a plurality of particles;
• b. treating said plurality of particles with one or more additives that is capable of swelling the surface of said plurality of particles;
• c. encapsulating each one of said plurality of particles in an adhesion promoting layer, said swelling facilitating interpenetration of said layer into the plurality of particles, said layer at least partially interdiffusing into a network of said plurality of particles, and chemically bonding to the network by intermolecular cross-linking;
• d. mixing said encapsulated plurality of particles with a fresh rubber compound said one or more additives inducing inter-molecular chemical cross-linking between interpenetrating molecules of said fresh rubber compound and said encapsulated plurality of particles;
• and
• d. co-vulcanizing said mixture of said encapsulated plurality of particles and said fresh rubber compound.

A method of recycling a vulcanized rubber compound comprising:

• a. grinding said vulcanized rubber compound into a plurality of particles;
• b. treating said plurality of particles with one or more additives that is capable of swelling the surface of said plurality of particles;
• c. encapsulating each one of said plurality of particles in an adhesion promoting layer, said swelling facilitating interpenetration of said layer into the plurality of particles, said layer at least partially interdiffusing into a network of said plurality of particles, and chemically bonding to the network by intermolecular cross-linking;
• and
• d. utilizing said encapsulated or treated plurality of particles as a building block for designing particles that can impart selected properties to a rubber stock.

A method of recycling a vulcanized rubber compound comprising:

• a. grinding said vulcanized rubber compound into a plurality of particles;
• b. treating said plurality of particles with at least one chemical curing agent inhibitor and a solvent capable of solubilizing the at least one chemical curing agent inhibitor, said solvent being capable of swelling the plurality of particles to disperse said at least one chemical curing agent inhibitor within said plurality of particles;
• c. encapsulating each one of said treated plurality of particles in an adhesion promoting layer;
• d. mixing said encapsulated plurality of particles with a fresh rubber compound;
• and
• e. co-vulcanizing said encapsulated mixture of said plurality of particles and said fresh rubber compound.