Innovation
WATCH PTR™ IN THE LAB
SUCCEEDING WHERE OTHERS HAVE FAILED.
Until now, the devulcanization process had broken down the integrity of the end-of-life thermoset tire rubber to such a point that the physical properties could not be used during recycling. PRISM™ technology now takes that rubber, at an atomic level, to a reusable thermoplastic rubber with significant industrial applications and improved properties.
INDUSTRY STANDARD
1.
A used tire is ground down to make crumb rubber or burned as fuel.
INDUSTRY
FUTURE
1.
A used tire is ground down
in preparation for the
PRISM™ patented process
INDUSTRY STANDARD
2.
Current recycling processes destroys the critical sulfidic bridge, making the rubber even weaker
INDUSTRY
FUTURE
2.
During the PRISM™ process
the sulfidic bridge is re-aligned, creating a new, stronger thermoplastic rubber.
INDUSTRY STANDARD
3.
Currently, the original carbon black from the vulcanization process adds no benefit to crumb rubber.
INDUSTRY
FUTURE
3.
PTR™ retains all of the valuable carbon black from the vulcanization process.
INDUSTRY STANDARD
4.
The industry has only been able to reduce used tires to a particle size of about 600 microns, limiting use to heavy, loosely entangled materials.
INDUSTRY
FUTURE
4.
The PRISM™ process occurs at the atomic level, the PTR™ is reduced to one micron or less, allowing an unprecedented surface area to be realized.
INDUSTRY STANDARD
5.
Crumb rubber is used as filler to provide limited benefits to asphalt pavement, no benefit to roofing products and almost zero benefit to new tires.
INDUSTRY
FUTURE
5.
Because of the unprecedented surface area PTR™ can be fully cross linked into new rubber products providing significant benefits in engineered rubber, new tires, additives to asphalt, or roofing.
INDUSTRY STANDARD
6.
Current tire recycling processes are expensive and consume huge amounts of energy in the process.
INDUSTRY
FUTURE
6.
The PRISM™ process is contained, clean and energy efficient. And, allows us to use 100% of the tire in the process.
INDUSTRY STANDARD
7.
Currently recycled rubber used as a component in a new tire cannot be recycled more than once.
INDUSTRY
FUTURE
7.
PTR™, when used in a new tire, can be recycled again and again – creating a stronger rubber with each cycle.
PRISM™ is:
Phase Recurrent Induced Sulfidic Metathesis
This “First in Class” patented process chemically and physically converts thermoset rubber into a re-crosslinkable thermoplastic rubber product while leaving essentially all the valuable polymers, linkages, and carbon black intact. Most importantly the process interrupts, without destroying, the critical sulfidic bridge, a major breakthrough for the rubber industry..
ORIGINAL CRUMB RUBBER
30 MESH Ground Tire Rubber @ 500x
1. Carbon Nano-Clusters
2. Polysulfidic Crosslink
3. Bound Free Molecular Space
When traditionally recycled, the polysulfidic crosslink bonds in crumb rubber are broken or destroyed. This release of sulfur degrades the integrity of the rubber and produces a weaker, less pliable rubber as a result. The more the rubber is broken down, the more bonds are broken. Currently, the process only breaks down the rubber to approximately 200 microns
POST REACTION
Post Reaction Rubber Matrix
1. Polymer Chains Relax
2. The Polysulfidic Bridge
3. Free Molecule Space
After our patented reaction, the Polysulfidic Bridge re-aligns, allowing the polymer chain to relax and substantially increasing the free molecule space. This allows us to take the rubber down to less than 1 micron while keeping the integrity of the rubber intact.
THE RESULT
Re-crosslinked Rubber Matrix
1. Ridged Polysulfidic Crosslink
2. Carbon Nano-Clusters
3. Embedded Polymers
4. Expanded Molecular Space
5. Allows re-entanglement
The newly crosslinked matrix uniformly distributes the nano-carbon, strengthens the sulfidic bridge, and allows for an unprecedented surface area to be utilized. The expanded molecular space allows graft-able polymers in, and the complete re-entanglement with asphalt. An industry first.
When traditionally recycled, the polysulfidic crosslink bonds in crumb rubber are broken or destroyed. This release of sulfur degrades the integrity of the rubber and produces a weaker, less pliable rubber as a result. The more the rubber is broken down, the more bonds are broken. Currently, the process only breaks down the rubber to approximately 200 microns
After our patented reaction, the Polysulfidic Bridge re-aligns, allowing the polymer chain to relax and substantially increasing the free molecule space. This allows us to take the rubber down to less than 1 micron while keeping the integrity of the rubber intact.
The newly crosslinked matrix uniformly distributes the nano-carbon, strengthens the sulfidic bridge, and allows for an unprecedented surface area to be utilized. The expanded molecular space allows graft-able polymers in, and the complete re-entanglement with asphalt. An industry first.