Differences Between Recycled Rubber and Recycled Plastic

The fundamental distinction lies in deformation behavior: plastics undergo plastic (permanent) deformation, while rubber exhibits elastic (reversible) deformation. At room temperature, plastics are typically hard solids that cannot be stretched, whereas rubber shows low hardness, good elasticity, and the ability to stretch and recover.

Recycled rubber retains the elastic properties of virgin rubber and is produced through processes including crushing, regeneration (desulfurization), and refining. The regeneration process breaks partial molecular chains and crosslinks in vulcanized rubber under the combined action of plasticizers, oxygen, heat, and mechanical shear.

Recycled plastics are reprocessed through physical or chemical methods such as pretreatment, melt granulation, and modification. While plastics at 100–200°C may resemble rubber in form at 60–100°C, their recycled forms maintain distinct performance characteristics rooted in their original polymer structures.