Vulcanized elastomers are materials commonly used in several applications, such as automotive and footwear industries. In this study, scraps of ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM-r) from the automotive industry were exposed to microwaves during different periods (2-5 min). After devulcanization, the samples were characterized by gel content, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and activation energy of degradation (Ea) determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The degradation behavior of EPDM-r was consistent with the literature. The gel content analysis showed that the EPDM-r was devulcanized only at 5 minutes of exposure to the microwaves. DSC analysis demonstrated no significant changes in the samples, and the Ea results confirmed that the additives found in the composition of the EPDM-r affect the efficiency of the regeneration method.
EPDM-r; oil; devulcanization; microwave; additives
