Thermoplastic compositions having altered reclaimed rubber therein and method for making same
AssigneeLaser Supply, Inc.
InventorEric R. Hart
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composition containing reclaimed vulcanized rubber particles and capable of being recycled by melting is disclosed. A thermoplastic substrate is first melted, and an acid or base deflocculant and emulsifier for the rubber particles is added and mixed. The rubber particles are then added and heated with the substrate under high shear forces to redo the size of the particles, cause them to swell, and to emulsify the surface. The acid or base deflocculant is then neutralized to its isoelectric point, with the surfaces of the altered rubber particles in phase with the thermoplastic substrate.
Claims12
Method for making a reprocessable thermoplastic composition containing a thermoplastic material and vulcanized rubber particles, said method comprising the steps of first melting a thermoplastic material to form a heated mass, adding to said heated mass a deflocculant and an emulsifier for vulcanized rubber particles, said deflocculant being selected from the group consisting of organic and inorganic acid and base deflocculants, adding vulcanized rubber particles to said mass, heating and mixing of the resultant mass under high shear forces sufficiently to reduce the particles size to the rubber particles while emulsifying and swelling the surfaces of the same, neutralizing the mixture to its isoelectric point, and cooling and recovering the resultant mass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.