Microcellular ground tire rubber/ethylene vinyl acetate compounds: Mechanical properties and structure relationships

This study aims to investigate the effect of ground tire rubber (GTR) treated by acetone on mechanical and morphological properties of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) matrix. Polymeric EVA/GTR (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 phr) compounds were achieved through extrusion and batch foaming process. TGA and NMR analysis revealed that oils and additives were removed from the GTR after the acetone treatment. Morphological characterization showed cell sizes below 100 mu m in the compounds with treated GTR, which improved the mechanical performance of EVA/GTR compounds. The results indicated that the acetone-treated GTR are a suitable raw material to obtain foam compounds useful in vibrations absorber and isolation applications.