Compósitos de borracha regenerada e resíduos de eva para revestimento em instalações rurais.

Abstract

In rural production systems, there is a growing need for facilities that provide animal welfare, using new materials with specific technological characteristics that combine low cost, high efficiency and sustainability. Polymeric waste is a potentially recyclable material that has good thermal and mechanical properties, high added value, and can be applied in facilities as flooring, in order to reduce the discomfort of confinement. In this sense, this research aimed to characterize the combination of EVA waste and regenerated rubber from tires, evaluating the feasibility of the compound to be applied as flooring in animal production facilities. Samples were produced in four different concentrations of 0, 25, 50 and 75% rubber, and it was verified that the compositions begin their melting at 40 °C and begin to degrade from 220 °C. Among the blends, it was evident that by adding up to 25% rubber the material absorbs less than 1% water. With 75% it is soft, with lower residual deformation and longer thermal delay. For all the blends it was verified the incompatibility between the components with loss of mechanical property under traction of the compounds, demonstrating a positive effect on the reduction of its hardness. It is estimated that the property improvement can be achieved with the use of a compatibilizing agent that favors the adhesion between the materials. It is concluded that, although the insertion of regenerated rubber along with the EVA waste enables a more sustainable production, there was a significant decline in mechanical properties for this purpose, therefore, the compositions have potential for application as flooring of animal production facility, however the sample without rubber showed better potential for reuse.