TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Product Name: Treatment K – Tirecycle™ Rubber Treatment
Classification
Proprietary Rubber Adhesive of 100% solids
Applications
Treat rubber crumb for compatibility with SBR, NR and EPDM rubber compounds. The base formula is designed for use with #34 to infinity mesh crumb. Works with tire crumb and other recycled rubbers.
Typical Usage
Apply Treatment K at a ratio of 5 pounds to 95 pounds of crumb.
Treated crumb is then added to SBR, NR, EPDM compounds, generally at a ratio of 30%-50% treated crumb, as a direct replacement for that portion of the compounds. Ratio may be up to 70%-100% for some uses.
If 15/20 mesh crumb is being used, Treatment K may need to be increased to 5.5 pounds to 94.5 pounds crumb. If crumb is contaminated with high portion of fabric, ratio may need to be modified further.
If 60 mesh crumb is being used, ratio may drop to 4.5 pounds to 95.5 pounds crumb, to maintain tensile and duro for end product requirement.
Compatible Host Compounds
- Black color
- Durometer from 65-75
- NR, SBR, or EPDM base, blends can be very good
- Compounds that need or are able to process at higher viscosity levels.
Color
Black. Other colors may be available for some compounds.
Packaging
Bagged in low-melt bags sized for your Banbury batch size.
Benefits with Treatment K Treated Crumb
- Allows crumb to be part of the compound rather than just filler, which generally is a small percentage.
- Cure time decrease
- Viscosity increase
- Resilience increase
- Modulus increase
- When using high percentages of crumb, the physical size of one pound of rubber compound is greater than without crumb.
- May be able to recycle your waste rubber with Treatment K for re-use
Drawbacks with Treatment K Treated Crumb
- Viscosity increase
- Green strength decrease
- Elongation decrease
- Smoothness and tack decrease with higher percentages
- Scorch time slight decrease (depends on compound)
Mixing
- Treatment K is best distributed with the action of Banbury mixers
- Treatment K can be premixed with the crumb or mixed with the compound and crumb in your Banbury. The required order of loading is to add compound, crumb, and then Treatment K. Over 300ºF can damage the crumb and Treatment K
- If you provide 5 pounds of your compound, we will do the testing for the proper amount of Treatment K
- EPDM requires NorthStar Elastomers to test your compound with Treatment K for proper ratios. We will need your desired tensiles, duro and modulus.