Author(s)

S. Enoki, T. Tsujitan & J. Yamashita

Abstract

This paper describes a method to recycle waste polyurethane rubbers. Waste rubbers after manufacturing rubber products and most of the used rubber products have affected bad effects on the environment. In the case of larger rubber products, the waste rubbers and the used products have been recycled. However the waste rubbers of smaller rubber products and the used products are not recycled and are incinerated. An aseismatic mat is one of the smaller products and it is made of polyurethane rubber. The mats are manufactured a lot in Japan, so a lot of waste rubbers occur and are incinerated. In order to recycle the waste polyurethane rubbers, we created a composite cube as a structural material by using the waste rubbers. The composite cube had 15mm on a side. Unsaturated polyester was used as a matrix, and then the waste polyurethane rubbers were put in the unsaturated polyester. The waste polyurethane rubbers were minced and the minced rubbers were made into a ball. Some composite cubes on different quantities of the rubbers were prepared. Static compression tests were carried out with the composite cubes and with a cube made of only unsaturated polyester. Comparing with the load-displacement curves, it has been shown that a maximum load of the 0.1g-rubber-containing composite cube is larger than that of the rubber-free cube. However it has been shown that a maximum load of the 0.5g-rubber-containing composite cube is not larger than that of the rubber-free cube. So it is possible that polyurethane rubber reinforce unsaturated polyester, if the rubber is minced and is made into a ball and is used in the appropriate contained amount. Keywords: waste rubber, recycle, composite, compression property.

Keywords

waste rubber, recycle, composite, compression property