Butyl rubber, as a high-performance specialty rubber, is widely used in tires, seals, damping materials, and other fields. Consequently, the amount of waste butyl rubber has been increasing, making its efficient regeneration and high-value utilization an urgent demand. Based on the relationship between the structure and properties of butyl rubber and its halogenated derivatives, this paper elaborates on the degradation and regeneration mechanisms of waste butyl rubber in different regeneration processes. It also reviews various devulcanization regeneration techniques and their characteristics. 

Subsequently, multiple characterization strategies for the structure and properties of regenerated butyl rubber are summarized, and its main application areas are discussed. Finally, future development directions are proposed, aiming to provide references for the high-value recycling of butyl rubber and contribute to promoting green and low-carbon transformation in the industry.

Butyl rubber, regenerated rubber, devulcanization, regeneration application.

Butyl rubber (IIR) is a random copolymer prepared by the cationic polymerization of isobutylene (IB) monomers with a small amount of isoprene (IP) at low temperatures. The isoprene unit content typically ranges from 0.6 to 2.5 mol%. Due to their excellent gas barrier properties, high damping capacity, and aging resistance, butyl rubber and halogenated butyl rubber are widely used in various aspects of daily life and industrial applications. They have now become the fourth-largest synthetic rubber variety globally.