Pyrolysis-FTIR and TGA techniques as tools in the characterization of blends of natural rubber and SBR

The employment of used tyres as a new source of raw materials for different applications can be a partial solution to the great environmental problems generated by these products concerning their disposal at waste depots. In this study, high-resolution thermogravimetric analysis (Hi-Res TGA) is used to quantify the elastomer composition of SBR/NR in tyre formulations. This technique provides the ability to generate TGA derivative profiles (DTGA), which can be used to distinguish different formulations from appropriate calibration curves. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is also employed for composition quantification of used tyres and the results are compared to those obtained by Hi-Res TGA. Both analysis methods give satisfactory results when applied to elastomer mixtures of known composition and to tyre rubbers of unknown composition. The study confirms the accuracy of high-resolution TGA–DTGA technique for rapid quantitative determination of elastomer blends in used tyres.