News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Tire pyrolysis is a complex capital-intensive business which requires much know-how and which is rather challenging to successfully run today. However, we are convinced tire pyrolysis has a bright future ahead. First, let’s consider reasons which make this business challenging. In the OECD countries, tire pyrolysis is hampered mainly by national regulations. For instance, in Germany, fuels obtained from recycled rubber are banned for use in vehicular engines.

ELDAN Recycling, Danish manufacturer of recycling equipment, has launched their new Twin Shaft Clean-Cut Shredder for production of clean-cut tyre chips from car or truck tyres. According to the equipment supplier, two frequency converters ensure a very flexible operation, i.e. individual setting of RPM, overload protection, auto reverse at overload and high torque from zero RPM. This ensures up to 50% power saving.

Commercial applications of end-of-life tires (ELT) as crumb rubber infill in sports pitches are unlikely to see any changes after the scientific committees of the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) granted their new approval, Fazilet Cinaralp, secretary of the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA) said. According to the ECHA’s findings, infill material with levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) below 20 ppm pose no harm to athletes.

Last month, the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association discussed the changing demands of society and transport technology and how they will impact investment in road projects and pavements during the 18th International Flexible Pavements Conference and Exhibition in Sydney.

A report by Central Pollution Control Board of India (CPCB) states that in 19 states of the country there are 637 tire pyrolysis plants out of which over 1/3 are not complying with the regulations. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to manage the import of end-of-life tires for use in pyrolysis industry. NGT’s Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asserts that unsanctioned tire pyrolysis operations ubiquitously used in India cause severe air pollution in the country and also impact health of workers of the plants.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) has concluded a new deal with the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) that will study and test the application of rubber from waste tires in the asphalt. The study is partly sponsored by TSA. Other investors are the Victorian Department of Transport and an independent national transport research organisation, ARRB.

The Tyre Stewardship Australia will sponsor over 30 new research, market expansion and practical end use initiatives for recycled tires as more than $4.9 million have been committed by the organization’s fund. The funding will be provided with the aim to find useful application for as many waste tires as possible in the country.

The Tyre Stewardship Australia will sponsor over 30 new research, market expansion and practical end use initiatives for recycled tires as more than $4.9 million have been committed by the organization’s fund. The funding will be provided with the aim to find useful application for as many waste tires as possible in the country.

Recently, an expert in tire-derived carbon black Martin von Wolfersdorff shared his views on the prospects recovered carbon black (rCB) in tire-to-tire recycling. In his press release Mr. von Wolfersdorff said he appreciated it when tier one carbon black companies spoke about rCB. The expert says top carbon black producers attend rCB workshops, presentations or conferences organized by Wolfersdorff Consulting, and there are ample opportunities for collaboration between the rCB and the CB industry, some of which have been highlighted in his Carbon Black World 2018 presentation in Düsseldorf (see image below). There is way to go, Martin von Wolfersdorff says.