Rounak Ghosh

Rounak received his BTech in textile engineering from the University of Calcutta. He gained his MTech in rubber technology at IIT Kharagpur, India. He graduated with a professional doctorate in engineering on the 'devulcanization of natural rubber in twin-screw extruder' from the University of Twente in collaboration with Rubber Green Industries. Rounak is presently working as a PhD researcher at the University of Twente, with Evonik Industries, on 'Improvement of the devulcanizate of ground whole tire rubber by optimization with functional additives'. Co-authors: Dr Christian Mbaya Mani, Dr Rupert Schnell, Dr Roland Krafczyk, Dr Alexander Paasche, Dr Auke Talma, Dr Wilma Dierkes, Prof. Anke Blume.

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Presentation

A new approach to devulcanize passenger car tire rubber

Thermomechanical-chemical devulcanization was carried out on passenger car tire rubber granulate following a new approach. The devulcanization conditions were optimized, and the efficiency was determined as the degree of network breakdown, miscibility and mechanical properties of the de- and revulcanized material. The network was broken by 70%-75%, and tensile strength of 8.6 MPa was achieved. A correlation between tensile strength and total area of undevulcanized particles was established. This devulcanization system is very effective and more sustainable than the conventional ones in terms of environmental hazards and safety.