Half‐submerged cultivation method for the microbial desulfurization of waste latex rubber

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ABSTRACTThe common method for microbial desulfurization is the submerged cultivation method. However, its cost is high because of the high consumption of the medium. To cut costs and improve the desulfurization effect, the new half‐submerged cultivation method was used in the microbial desulfurization of waste latex rubber (WLR) by Sphingomonas species With this method, much more WLR was added per unit volume of the culture medium to be desulfurized, and the desulfurization process was done without stirring. The technical conditions, such as the addition of WLR, the addition of polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), and the desulfurization time, for the half‐submerged cultivation method were studied, and its desulfurization effect was compared with that of the traditional submerged cultivation method. The results show that the optimum conditions for the half‐submerged cultivation method were the addition of 40% w/v WLR in the medium without Tween 80 and desulfurization for 10 days. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results demonstrate that the decreases in the content of sulfur, SC bonds, and SS bonds on the surface of WLR after desulfurization by the half‐submerged cultivation method were greater than those after desulfurization by the submerged cultivation method. The composite of waste latex rubber desulfurized by the submerged cultivation method (SDWLR) and styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) had better mechanical properties than the composite of waste latex rubber desulfurized by the half‐submerged cultivation method (HDWLR) and SBR. Scanning electron microscopy photographs showed that the combinations of HDWLR and the matrix were better than those of SDWLR and the matrix. Compared with the submerged cultivation method, the half‐submerged cultivation method not only reduced the cost of desulfurization but also improved the desulfurization effect. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41039.