Scientists pioneer chemical process to repurpose rubber waste

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Overview of the strategy for rubber deconstruction. a, Proposed route for achieving deconstruction of vulcanized polybutadiene. R is either H, ammonium or hydrated form of aldehyde. b, Mechanism of 2-aza-Cope rearrangement/deconstruction of aminated model polymer. Credit: Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08716-6 Every year, millions of tires end up in landfills, creating an environmental crisis with far-reaching consequences. In the United States alone, over 274 million tires were scrapped in 2021, with nearly 20% of them being discarded in landfills. The accumulation of these waste materials presents not only a space issue but also introduces environmental hazards, such as chemical leaching and spontaneous combustion. While pyrolysis—a process that chemically recycles rubber through high-temperatur ... Read full article.