The present invention relates to trowelable aqueous compositions for making rubbery composite mats for flooring and subflooring comprising an aqueous polymer foam forming component of A) one or more hard vinyl or acrylic aqueous emulsion polymers, preferably, acrylic or styrene acrylate aqueous emulsion polymers, and B) one or more soft vinyl or acrylic aqueous emulsion polymers, preferably, acrylic or styrene acrylate aqueous emulsion polymers and, as a rubbery composite component, C) (i) lightweight inorganic aggregates having a density of from 0.18 to 0.4 g/cm.sup.3, and C) (ii) one of or a combination of (a) crosslinked rubber granules and (b) finely divided crosslinked rubber particles. The trowelable aqueous compositions of the present invention provide seamless sound damping mats comprising the emulsion polymers A) and B) in a foam comprising a dispersion the granular and finely divided crosslinked rubber particles. The trowelable aqueous compositions may further comprise a thickener and an organic foaming agent.

A method for recycling a vulcanized rubber compound. The method includes the steps of grinding recycled rubber compound into a plurality of ground rubber particles, adding a suitable amount of labyrinthine or barrier forming material to a fresh rubber compound, mixing the plurality of ground rubber particles with the fresh rubber compound containing the labyrinthine material, and co-vulcanizing the mixture of the plurality of ground rubber particles with the fresh rubber compound containing the labyrinthine material.

The renewed rubber of this invention can be used in rubber formulations that are used in manufacturing a wide array of rubber products, including tires, power transmission belts, conveyor belts, hoses, and a wide array of other products. The present invention more specifically discloses a method for manufacturing an environmentally friendly, chemically functionalized, renewed rubber composition having a highly desirable combination of physical properties and which exhibits excellent processability comprising the steps of (1) blending a micronized rubber powder with a processing aid and a chemical functionalizing agent to produce a blended mixture; (2) processing the blended mixture under conditions of high shear and low temperature to produce a reacted mixture; (3) adding a stabilizer to the reacted mixture to produce the chemically functionalized renewed rubber composition.

This disclosure provides a rubber composite for use in a variety of applications, and methods for its preparation.

Disclosed herein is an aeration hose capable of diffusing bubbles of air within a body of water, comprising a) a hose portion derived from a composition, comprising a polyvinyl chloride resin; a first rubber component; a second rubber component; at least one copolymer; at least one low temperature plasticizer; at least one filler comprising titanium dioxide; at least one heat stabilizer; at least one internal lubricant; at least one antioxidant; and at least one biofouling agent, wherein the hose portion comprises an outer hose portion, an inner hose portion and a plurality of hose apertures capable of receiving and diffusing pressurized air, and wherein the hose is flexible and has no memory, wherein the hose apertures are provided therethrough the inner hose portion and the outer hose portion and proportionally spaced about the outer hose portion along a length of the hose portion.

Disclosed herein is an aeration hose capable of diffusing bubbles of air within a body of water, comprising a) a hose portion derived from a composition, comprising a polyvinyl chloride resin; a first rubber component; a second rubber component; at least one copolymer; at least one low temperature plasticizer; at least one filler comprising copper dioxide; at least one heat stabilizer; at least one internal lubricant; at least one antioxidant; and at least one biofouling agent, wherein the hose portion comprises an outer hose portion, an inner hose portion and a plurality of hose apertures capable of receiving and diffusing pressurized air, wherein the hose is flexible and has no memory, and wherein the hose apertures are provided therethrough the inner hose portion and the outer hose portion and proportionally spaced about the outer hose portion along a length of the hose portion.

Disclosed herein is an aeration hose capable of diffusing bubbles of air within a body of water, comprising a) a hose portion derived from a composition, comprising a polyvinyl chloride resin; a first rubber component; a second rubber component; at least one copolymer; at least one low temperature plasticizer; at least one filler comprising antimony trioxide; at least one heat stabilizer; at least one internal lubricant; at least one antioxidant; and at least one biofouling agent, wherein the hose portion comprises an outer hose portion, an inner hose portion and a plurality of hose apertures capable of receiving and diffusing pressurized air, wherein the hose is flexible and has no memory, wherein the hose apertures are provided therethrough the inner hose portion and the outer hose portion and proportionally spaced about the outer hose portion along a length of the hose portion.

Preparing a microbially desulfurized crumb rubber includes combining microorganisms capable of breaking crosslinked sulfur bonds, sulfur-containing crumb rubber, and a salt solution to yield a mixture; combining a buffer with the mixture to yield a buffered mixture, thereby adjusting a pH of the mixture; providing oxygen to the buffered mixture; incubating the buffered mixture for a length of time to yield a microbially desulfurized mixture; combining the microbially desulfurized mixture with bitumen to yield a precursor; and heating the precursor to yield the microbially desulfurized crumb rubber. The microbially desulfurized crumb rubber can be combined with bitumen to yield a modified bitumen. The modified bitumen can be combined with asphalt to yield a modified asphalt.

A two-wheeler tire, preferably a bicycle tire, and to a process for producing a two-wheeler tire, preferably a bicycle tire. The two-wheeler tire includes in at least one component a rubber mixture containing at least the following constituents: at least one rubber, preferably at least one diene rubber; and at least one substance from renewable raw materials which is distinct from rubber.

A reclaimed rubber-containing rubber composition comprising a reclaimed rubber, wherein the reclaimed rubber contains carbon black having a specific surface area based on BET method of 100 to 120 m.sup.2/g and has a gel fraction of 75% or less. The reclaimed rubber is preferably a reclaimed rubber powder having an average particle diameter d70 of 100 m or less and an average particle diameter d90 of 150 m or less. The reclaimed rubber-containing rubber composition preferably contains 1 to 10 parts by mass of the reclaimed rubber when a total amount of a rubber component is taken as 100 parts by mass. The reclaimed rubber is preferably derived from a tire tread.