Pyrolysis and liquefaction of industrial rubber wastes

Pyrolysis and liquefaction of rubber wastes in hot motor oil with product oils recycling were investigated. By using a thermogravimetric method, pyrolysis of rubber wastes can be described satisfactorily by the corresponding rate equation: dX/dt = (6.91×10¹⁸±5.05) exp ((−245.88±10.62) / (8.314×10⁻³T))×(1−X)^0.85±0.13. In liquefaction experiments, rubber wastes were contacted with hot motor oil (oil/rubber wt. ratio = 5). Liquefaction of rubber wastes at 643 K generates approximately 89.3% of heavy and light oils and 9.7% of gases, and 1.0% of solid residues. The NMR and FTIR data of product oils are suggestive of the occurrence of cyclization, to some extent, in the rubber liquefaction reaction and the aromatics in product light oil may be highly methyl substituted.