STUDY OF THE PROPERTIES OF SULFUR OBTAINED BY DEVULCANIZATION OF AGED RUBBER WASTE

In this study, the physicochemical properties of free sulfur, isolated by chemical devulcanization of vulcanized rubber waste, were comprehensively studied. The devulcanization process was carried out using a mixture of FeCl3 and CH3COOH, and the effectiveness of the process was assessed using iodometric titration, IR spectroscopy, TGA/DTA, SEM-EDS, and XRD methods. The results showed that the optimization of devulcanization parameters (reaction time, temperature, acid concentration) directly affects the degree of C-C and C-C bond breaking. Based on iodometric analysis, up to 80% of the bound sulfur was converted to free state. The results of IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis showed changes in the structural and thermal stability of sulfur, while SEM-EDS clearly described morphological changes. The obtained results revealed the possibility of using devulcanized sulfur as an environmentally safe and promising raw material for industry.