Toward the reuse of styrene–butadiene (SBRr) waste from the shoes industry: production and compatibilization of BioPE/SBRr blends

The postconsumer waste of vulcanized styrene–butadiene rubber (SBRr) is a raw material rich in additives with potential reuse in the plastics processing industry. The present investigation evaluated the effectiveness of styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene copolymer (SEBS) in the compatibilization of b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Polymer bulletin (Berlin, Germany) Vol. 81; no. 11; pp. 10311 - 10336
Main Authors:	Alves, Lindemberg Martins Ferreira, Luna, Carlos Bruno Barreto, de Matos Costa, Anna Raffaela, da Silva Barbosa Ferreira, Eduardo, do Nascimento, Emanuel Pereira, Araújo, Edcleide Maria
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2024 Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:	Butadiene Characterization and Evaluation of Materials Chemistry Chemistry and Materials Science Circular economy Compatibility Complex Fluids and Microfluidics Consumption Copolymers Crystallization Elongation Footwear industry Hardness Impact strength Injection molding Landfill Melt flow index Modulus of elasticity Morphology Organic Chemistry Original Paper Physical Chemistry Plastic deformation Polyethylene Polymer blends Polymer Sciences Processing industry Raw materials Rubber Scanning electron microscopy Soft and Granular Matter Styrenes Tensile strength Thermal stability Thermodynamic properties Thermogravimetry Twin screw extruders Biopolyethylene Polymer blends Rubber waste Sustainability Reuse
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Summary:	The postconsumer waste of vulcanized styrene–butadiene rubber (SBRr) is a raw material rich in additives with potential reuse in the plastics processing industry. The present investigation evaluated the effectiveness of styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene copolymer (SEBS) in the compatibilization of biopolyethylene (BioPE)/SBRr blends. The blends were processed in a twin-screw extruder and injection molded to evaluate the melt flow index (MFI), impact strength, tensile strength, Shore D hardness, thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and heat deflection temperature (HDT). Morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The BioPE/SBRr/SEBS blend (70/20/10 wt%) showed the lowest MFI, which indicates a higher viscosity and, consequently, higher compatibility that led to increments of 120% and 698.6% on impact strength and elongation at break, respectively, compared to the noncompatibilized system. The reduction in elastic modulus, tensile strength, and Shore D hardness confirmed the increased flexibility of the BioPE/SBRr/SEBS blends. Melting and crystallization properties of the polymer blends were comparable to the BioPE matrix, suggesting that 20 wt% SBRr content did not severely deteriorate the thermal behavior. SEM analysis showed that SEBS induced a morphology with extensive plastic deformation, confirming the high impact strength and elongation at break. BioPE/SBRr blends compatibilized with SEBS offer significant technological potential, indicating that SBRr can be introduced into the productive chain and contribute to sustainability.
ISSN:	0170-0839 1436-2449
DOI:	10.1007/s00289-024-05181-5