A process for reclaiming sulfur-cured, vulcanized rubber by combining
finely ground scrap vulcanized rubber within a specialized, twin-screw
extruder capable of providing strong shearing and just-on-time mixing;
adding a reclaiming agent to the extruder; and masticating the rubber
scrap and reclaiming agent within the extruder until the rubber scrap is
devulcanized. The present invention also discloses a unique composition
of reclaiming agent, which preferably includes the following compounds:
accelerators TBBS, ZMBT, MBT, and TMTM; activators zinc oxide and stearic
acid; and zinc salts of fatty acids and sulfur. The reclaimed rubber is
suitable for use in producing high-grade, rubber products without adding
a binder, or for combining with fresh rubber compounds to produce
high-specification rubber products.