Continuous ultrasonic devulcanization of vulcanized elastomers

An ultrasonic reactor comprising:

• (a) a reactor having at least one reactor exit bore capable of continuously feeding vulcanized or crosslinked elastomeric particles under pressure to the reactor exit bore;
• (b) at least one die having a die entrance bore and a die exit bore, the die entrance bore being of smaller diameter than the die exit bore, the die being attached to the reactor so as to permit the passage of the vulcanized elastomeric particles from the reactor exit bore into the die entrance bore;
• (c) an ultrasonic horn for each die;
• (d) at least one attachment means adapted to attaching the ultrasonic horn to each die and in a linear relationship to a longitudinal axis of the entrance bore of die;
• (e) an ultrasonic wave generator at one end of each horn, a diameter of the wave generator being larger than the diameter of the die entrance bore and smaller than the diameter of the die exit bore, the ultrasonic wave generator additionally being positioned at a clearance distance as measured in a longitudinal axis between a transverse plane demarking a termination of the die entrance bore and a transverse plane demarking a tip of the ultrasonic wave generator, sufficient to effect devulcanization of the decrosslinking of the elastomer.

An ultrasonic reactor comprising:

• (a) a reactor having at least one reactor exit bore capable of continuously feeding vulcanized or crosslinked elastomeric particles under a pressure to the reactor exit bore;
• (b) at least one die having a die entrance bore, a die exit bore and an internal die void connecting the die entrance and exit bores, the die being attached to the reactor so as to permit the passage of the vulcanized elastomeric particles from the reactor exit bore into the die entrance bore;
• (c) at least one ultrasonic horn adapted for insertion into each die void, each due void configured so as to be in a non-linear alignment with a longitudinal axis of the reactor;
• (d) at least one attachment means adapted to attaching each ultrasonic horn into the due void and in a linear relationship to a longitudinal axis of the die exit bore;
• (e) at least one gasket for sealingly engaging each ultrasonic horn to the die;
• and
• (f) an ultrasonic wave generator at one end of each horn, a diameter of the wave generator being larger than the diameter of the die exit bore, the ultrasonic wave generator additionally being positioned at a clearance distance as measured in a longitudinal axis between a transverse plane demarking a termination of the ultrasonic wave generator tip and a transverse plane demarking the beginning of the die exit bore, sufficient to effect devulcanization of decrosslinking of the elastomer.

An ultrasonic reactor comprising:

• (a) a reactor having at least one reactor exit bore capable of continuously feeding vulcanized or crosslinked elastomeric particles under a pressure to the reactor exit bore;
• (b) at least one die having a die entrance bore, a die exit bore and an internal die void connecting the die entrance and exit bores, the die being attached to the reactor so as to permit the passage of the vulcanized elastomeric particles from the reactor exit bore into the die entrance bore;
• (c) at least one ultrasonic horn adapted for insertion into each die void, each die void configured so as to be in a non-linear alignment with a longitudinal axis of the reactor;
• (d) at least one attachment means adapted to attaching each ultrasonic horn to the die void and in a linear relationship to a longitudinal axis of the die exit bore;
• (e) at least one gasket for sealingly engaging each ultrasonic horn to the die;
• and
• (f) an ultrasonic wave generator at one end of each horn, a diameter of the wave generator being larger than the diameter of the die exit bore, the ultrasonic wave generator additionally being positioned at a clearance distance as measured in a longitudinal axis between a transverse plane demarking a termination of the ultrasonic wave generator tip and a transverse plane demarking the beginning of the die exit bore, sufficient to effect devulcanization of the elastomer.