Effect of the mixture between EVA waste and regenerated rubber for application in animal facility flooring

The choice of floor type within the animal production system is an important factor, as it is associated with a high incidence of changes in locomotion, hoof injuries and herd disposal, which has led producers to modify the type of flooring for more comfortable, durable and dry materials, such as rubber, however, the raw mate-rial makes the investment very high. Because polymeric waste is potentially recyclable and has good thermal and mechanical properties, it is feasible to develop research aimed at characterizing them in order to verify their feasibility of application as flooring for animal production installations. The present research analyzed the combination between the EVA residue and the regenerated rubber from tires, where samples were produced in 4 different concentrations: 0, 25, 50 and 75% of regenerated rubber. The samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and submitted to tensile, permanent deformation under compression, abrasion and hardness tests. The sample with 75% showed greater softness and less residual deformation, which is a positive effect due to the reduction of stiffness due to the insertion of rubber in the compounds. However, due to the incompatibility of the blends and a significant decline in the mechanical properties, the sample without regenerated rubber has a greater potential for recycling and application for which the research aimed for. It is estimated that the pro-perty improvement can be achieved with the use of a compatibilizing agent that favors the adhesion between the materials.