Recycling of Rubbers Microwave Method It was proposed to devulcanize waste rubber. This process applies the heat very quickly and uniformly on the waste rubber. The method employs the application of a controlled amount of microwave energy to devulcanize a sulfur vulcanized elastomers containing polar groups or components, to a state in which it could be compounded and revulcanized to useful products, such as hoses, requiring significant physical properties. On the basis of the relative bond energies of carbon-carbon, carbon-sulfur, and sulfur-sulfur bonds, it was presumed that the scission of the sulfur-sulfur and sulfur-carbon crosslinks actually occurred. However, the material to be used in the microwave process must be polar enough to accept energy at a rate sufficient to generate the heat necessary for devulcanization. This method is a batch process and requires expensive equipment. Thermogravimetry was also employed to study the changes occurring in rubber vulcan...
An article on microwave technologies