“The processing and recycling of rubber waste was initially limited to the footwear industry, but is now being applied in other sectors, such as the automotive industry, construction materials, and others”, recalls António Ferreira. According to the President of Bolflex, “the traditional methods of devulcanization not only have much lower yields and compromise the properties of the resulting material, but they are also less economically and environmentally sustainable”.

On the contrary, this new process, which has now been patented, makes it possible to achieve a devulcanization yield of over 70% on a large scale, using rubber from various industries that can be reused while maintaining its properties as if virgin rubber had been used. “We have been able to show that rubber can be processed and revulcanized like virgin rubber, and thus used as a new raw material”, he said. 

From a technical point of view, the process uses a devulcanization process that deals with the sequestration of chain sulfhur using copper salts and the breaking of chain C-S bonds using catalysts, as well as allowing the reaction to be controlled so that the rubber waste can be reused without significant loss of its final properties.

Looking at it from an environmental point of view, “the new method, unlike current high-temperature techniques, drastically reduces emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and energy consumption, making it more environmentally friendly and less risky for the health of the workers”. In any case, the rubber devulcanized by the process presented has a high added value, creating a disruptive effect on the market.

António Ferreira emphasises that “the devulcanized rubber obtained by this new process can be reused in a wide range of products, making them more sustainable and with higher added value”.

According to the President of Bolflex, the company’s main concern is the supply of quality raw materials, which is why “there is a constant commitment to professional and technological innovation”. For Bolflex, “sustainability is not a challenge, it’s a reality”. That’s why the company “uses renewable energy in all its processes, recycles 100% of its internal waste and thus transforms its products into environmentally friendly added value”.

For more information, visit the company's website.