Method and apparatus for the recovery of vulcanized elastomeric material

A method for the recovery for re-use of vulcanised elastomeric material from a surface of an article comprising said material, comprising raising said surface to a temperature in the range 2000.degree.-3000.degree. C. for a period of less than 1/2 second and subsequently removing heat treated elastomeric material from said surface, the heat treated elastomeric material being removed in the form of discrete particles by applying to the heat treated surface a tool which has a rasping action on said surface.

A method for the recovery for re-use of vulcanised elastomeric material from a surface of an article comprising said material, comprising briefly raising said surface to a high temperature and subsequently removing heat treated elastomeric material from said surface, the temperature of said surface being raised by a relatively moving source of heat which speed of said relative movement is in the range 120-130 feet per minute.

A method for the recovery for re-use of vulcanised elastomeric material from surfaces of an article comprising said material, comprising raising said surfaces to a high temperature and subsequently removing heated elastomeric material from said surfaces, the heat treated elastomeric being removed in the form of discrete particles by passing the heat treated surfaces into the nip between two similar tools each of which has a rasping action on one of said surfaces.

A method for the recovery for re-use of vulcanised elastomeric material from an outer surface of a tread band comprising heating the outer surface of a rotating tread band from a source of heat positioned radially of the tyre and removing the heat treated elastomeric material from the outer surface of the tread band by a rotating rasping tool which is advanced into contact with the outer surface of the tread band at a position spaced circumferentially of the tread band from the source of heat in the direction of rotation of the tread band.

A method for the recovery of vulcanised natural or synthetic rubber from a scrap pneumatic tyre the method comprising initially parting the sidewalls from the tread portion on opposite sides of the breaker structure thereby severing from the latter the sidewall ply, mounting the tread band thus obtained to rotate about its axis while subjecting its outer periphery in sequence to a flame and to the action of a rasping tool, and recovering natural or synthetic rubber from the parted sidewalls in a separate operation.

A method for the recovery for re-use of vulcanised elastomeric material from a surface of an article comprising said material, comprising raising the temperature of the surface to a degree and for a period of time to de-vulcanise only the surface of the article and subsequently removing the devulcanised material from said surface, the devulcanised material being removed in the form of discrete particles by applying to the heat treated surface a tool which has a rasping action on said surface.