Plasma-assisted devulcanization of waste rubber powder using a dielectric barrier discharge reactor

The extensive production and consumption of ground tire rubber (GTR) have led to a significant accumulation of waste, posing a substantial environmental challenge. To enhance the recycling efficiency of GTR, this work introduces an innovative plasma-assisted method utilizing dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) technology for devulcanization. Experimental results demonstrate that, after plasma treatment at a discharge voltage of 18 kV for 30 minutes, the crosslink density of the rubber decreased from 2.1×10 ^− 4 to 0.8×10 ^− 4 mol/cm ³ , and the gel content reduced from 96.8–90.5%, indicating the effective cleavage of S-S and C-S bonds during the plasma process. Notably, the corresponding tensile strength and elongation at break of the plasma-regenerated rubber reached 10.2 MPa and 357.7%, respectively, meeting the standards for high-grade rubber applications. Finally, a plausible mechanism underlying the plasma-assisted devulcanization process is proposed. This novel approach holds substantial promise for enhancing environmental sustainability by enabling efficient and eco-friendly rubber recycling.