Assignment Title: “Recycling Of Scrap Tires”

Table Of Content
Serial number Title Page Number
1 Abstract 1-1
2 Introduction 2-3
3 Brief history and production technology of tires 3-4

4 Scrap tire disposal related problems 4-4

5 Major methods of recycling tires 4-7
6 Estimated value of waste tyre 7-7
7 Recycling of tyre into its component 7-11
8 Customer base 11-11
9 Applications of used tires 12-13
10 References 14-14

2
Page
Abstract:
The disposal of waste tyres has become an increasing problem in many countries worldwide. For instance,
the rate of scrap tyre generation in industrialized countries is approximately one passenger car tire
equivalent (PTE, or 9 kg) per capita per year. Furthermore, it is estimated that an additional 2-3 billion
scrap tyres are stockpiled on unregulated or abandoned piles, a figure which represents the cumulative
scrap tyre generation of approximately 10 years. It is a costly issue for the whole tyre manufacturing and
automobile industry, while the environmental costs over the years have reached significant levels. Waste
tyres consist of caoutchouc, textile fibres, steel and additives, and have a high recycling potential.
Recycling of scrap tires offers an environmentally and economically attractive method for transforming
waste tires into useful products, heat and electrical energy. The recycling method (energy or material
recycling) depends on the value of the subsequent products and on the availability and price of the raw
materials. The most noticeable problem associated with large tyre piles is that they are a fire hazard and
breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes, so the development of a suitable process for safe disposal
of tyres and develop a unique tool which will provide a guideline on the process conditions required in
order to optimize the production of a specific product is essential.

3
Page
Introduction:
As Rachel Louise Carson (1907-1964) successfully noted in her phrase “The human race is challenged
more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery - not over nature but of ourselves”, we are challenged
to find ways to produce more energy, reduce our waste production while minimizing use of limited natural
resources. Although recycling of materials has a history going back to the times of Plato BC400 and
collecting scrap bronze & metals in Europe in pre-industrial times (Wikipedia, 2011), the demand roar for
raw materials in the 19th and 20th centuries with industrial development caused cheaper alternative of
reusing scrap material rather than mining them out. Interestingly, 21st century’s major driving force has
additional items on top of the existing reasons of using recycled material, such as reducing consumption of
limited natural resources and lowering carbon dioxide emissions against the greenhouse effect. The
increasing demand for energy production and dealing with larger amounts of waste contaminating the
nature, forces humanity to find innovative ways to deal with the produced pollutant waste, emit lesser
amounts of CO2, and generate more energy. Recycling of scrap tires turns out to be a perfect match for the
recent requirements of the 21st century. Various ways of recycling scrap tires and how they relate to the
recent energy, material, and nature needs of our times are discussed.

Recycling of scrap tires (Waste/ End-of-Life Tires) until

the 1960’s in the US can be taken as an example; about
half of the manufactured automobile tires used to be
recycled since only synthetic or natural rubber was used
in the tire manufacturing process and tires could have
been directly used without major processing. Recycling of
used tires was further encouraged by the fact that these
materials were also expensive. The increasing use of the
synthetic rubber, however, lowered the manufacturing
costs and reduced need for recycling. Moreover, the
development of steel belted tires in the late 1960’s was
almost the end of tire recycling since additional
processing of tires was needed. Consequently, by 1995,
the rate of rubber recycling fell to only 2%.

Highway construction industry is a big alternative market for recycling scrap tires. Many studies have been
carried out on crumb rubber modified asphalt. After 1995, the consumption rate of wasted tires in modified
asphalt projects was increased, and in some states a maximum recycling rate of 20% was reached. The
outcomes of scrap tire recycling are not only limited by easy access to cost-efficient material such as rubber
and steel, but also have positive effects on the environment: Recycling of scrap tires on a global scale can
drastically reduce waste yards, soil and atmospheric contamination caused by dump yards and large scale
tire fires.

The following figures were shown that highlight the global problem that waste tyres represent today:
• 7 billion people in the world
• 1.1 billion vehicles on the road
• 1.7 billion new tyres produced a year
• Over 1 billion waste tyres generated per year

Although the rubber industry is a very mature and complex sector, with over 25 different generic types of
rubber (e.g., natural rubber (NR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), nitrile, ethylene-propylenediene
monomer (EPDM) rubber, fluorocarbon rubber, silicone and so on) being used in the production of
4

numerous types of endproduct (hoses, seals, gaskets, diaphragms and so on) for a myriad of applications
Page

and end-uses, no single rubber product comes near to dominating the market as tyres do. It is for this
reason, and for convenience, that the rubber industry is frequently split into two distinct sectors: the tyre
sector and the general rubber goods (GRG) sector. The GRG sector encompasses all other rubber products.
Other global statistics have been used to provide simplified life cycle assessment descriptions for the rubber
industry. For example, Brown of Watson Brown HSM Ltd has provided the following global estimates for
recycling:
• Total amount of rubber recycled at its end-of-life: typically 3−15%
• Amount of waste rubber re-used in some way (e.g., retreading, new products and so on): 5−23%
• Amount of waste rubber consumed for energy recovery: 25−60%
• Amount of waste rubber sent to landfill or stockpiled: 20−30%

Brief History and Production Technology of Tires:

Automotive tires are made of synthetic rubber which is obtained from petroleum. The development of tires
was based on improving the performance of natural rubber which is obtained from the liquid latex secreted
by certain plants. At the beginning, natural rubber was used to produce waterproof fabrics and to make
balls, containers and shoes by Pre-Columbian people in South and Central America. Until the 18th century,
Europeans did not make use of rubber except that they utilized it for manufacturing elastic bands and pencil
erasers. Joseph Priestley, a founder of the modern study of chemistry, named the substance "rubber" for
its use as an eraser. During the 19th century, Charles Goodyear studied on making rubber more resistant
to various chemicals. He started his working by mixing rubber with various dry powders, and aimed to find
a way to make natural rubber stickier. In 1839, he achieved to obtain the best product by applying steam
heat under pressure, for four to six hours at 132 Celsius (270 Fahrenheit) degrees.

Following the discovery of vulcanization, manufacturers began producing tires from solid rubber which
yielded a strong material to resist cuts and abrasions. Although this was a great progress, the tires were
too heavy and rigid. In order to decrease vibration and improve traction, Robert W. Thomson, first
produced the pneumatic rubber tire which consisted of rubber filled in with air. His idea could not a
commercialized since it was introduced too early for its time. John Boyd Dunlop from Ireland, who did not
know about Thomson’s earlier invention, once more introduced the pneumatic tire to the market in 1888.
This time, pneumatic tire caught the public’s attention because bicycles were becoming extremely popular
and the lighter tire provided a much better ride.

In early 19th century, manufacturers started producing vehicle tires comprising two parts, i.e., an inner
part and an outer part. The inner part, called the inner tube, contained compressed air and the outer part
was a casing protecting the inner tube and providing the tire with a better grip. An important element of
the outer part were the layers called plies which were made of rubberized fabric cords embedded in the
5

rubber and they were strengthening the casing. They were known as bias-ply tires because the cords in a
Page
single ply run diagonally from the beads on one inner rim to the beads on the other rim. The orientation of
the cords change from ply to ply so that the cords crisscross each other.

The steel-belted radial tires were first produced in 1948 by the Europeans. In those first tires, the ply cords
radiate at a 90 degree angle from the wheel rim. Together with this, a belt of steel fabric that wrapped the
circumference of the tire reinforced its casing. Radial tire ply cords are composed of nylon, rayon or
polyester. The advantages of radial tires include longer tread life, better steering and less rolling
resistance. On the other hand, radials have a harder riding quality, and are about twice as expensive as
the tires without radials.

Scrap Tire Disposal Related Problems:

Massive disposal sites of scrap tires is common in many cities of modern times as about 1 scrap tire is
produced per person every year. The stored used tires slowly degrade under the effects of solar radiation
as well as rusting of steel takes place. Degraded material would slowly contaminate soil and underground
water over years. The disposal sites waiting under the sun for extended periods of time might catch on fire
either by accident or because of bottles or broken glass focusing sunlight. Tires burn with thick black smoke
and heat, quickly spreads over the whole disposal area, and leaves oily residue contaminating the soil.
Such fires are difficult to put off and generates significant amount of air pollution. One of the overseen
problems of scrap tire disposal yards is that these areas become breeding places for rodents and
mosquitoes. Stagnant water that collects inside tires is a suitable breeding place for mosquitoes.

Major Methods of Recycling Tires:

The recycling of scrap tires may be defined under two different categories:
Using the scrap tires as whole or mechanically modified shapes (in crumps or shredded), and
Chemical decomposition or separation of scrap tire contents into different materials.
Recycling of scrap tires at element level that includes some form of chemical decomposition or
transformation is different than the mechanical process. Chemical recycling has additional advantages of
obtaining well defined building blocks of a tire separately (such as steel wires, natural gas, oil, carbon
black, charcoal etc.). The process in a way reverses the manufacturing process and obtains the elements
forming a tire backwards. The materials then can be directly sold or used for energy in factories or diesel
cars. Alternatively, burning scrap tires may also be included as a chemical process since long chained
carbon based molecules are divided into smaller molecules and carbon forms new bounds with oxygen
generating heat and carbon dioxide (CO2). Additionally, hydrogen in the molecules also forms bounds with
oxygen forming water (H2O).

 Use of scrap tires as a whole or after mechanical processing:

In this method is a tire is shredded, so the volume is reduced to about a ¼ of the original. The resulting
products are a rubber crumb which due to their sturdy nature and steel reinforcement inside the rubber,
can survive for long periods of time even under harsh environments such as as a boat bumper in salty sea
water, under a paved road with heavy traffic, or constant pressure of unstable slopes.The tires can be used
at the edge of sloped soil to maintain the soil at the edge from washing away with rainwaters. The reduced
erosion at the edges help the soil to maintain its slope and integrity for extended periods of time. When tires
are placed side by side and connected each other by clamps or wires, they help to keep the soil together as
shear locks. The soil or gravel fill are trapped inside the tires, cannot expand due to high strength steel
wires inside the tires and stabilizes the medium. When tires are shredded or crumb size divided, they can
be used as mixture to concrete for additional tension material and making lightweight concrete. Also, can
be mixed with asphalt for extra traction and tensile capabilities. Smaller size crumbs are used to make
children play grounds and running track surface finishing.
6
Page
  Ambient scrap tire processing:
This process, much like shredding and grinding, is where the tires are not cooled and remain at ambient
(room) temp and are then slowly ground down through a series of granulators. This allows for the
production of rubber crumbs of varying sizes.
Cryogenic Crushing

In this process the tires are completely freezes to a temperature of about -80⁰C (-112⁰F). At that temperature
point the rubber becomes nearly as brittle as glass and can be crushed or broken. While the end product is
usually cleaner, it is overall a more expensive process. This is mostly due to the liquid nitrogen required to
freeze the materials.

 Separation of scrap tire contents by thermo-chemical decomposition

(Pyrolysis):
Pyrolysis is the common name used for decomposing organic material at elevated temperatures in the
absence of oxygen. The oxygen needs to be absent otherwise organic material may burn. Typically the
process takes place under pressure and operating temperatures above 430 °C (800 °F). The word is
originated from Greek based words “pyr” and “lysis” meaning “fire” and “separating”, respectively.
Initial studies on pyrolysis of scrap tires have shown that tire-derived activated carbon, carbon black,
boudouard carbon, and fuel gas are obtained. Considering recycling of scrap tires in the road industry
couldn’t pass much beyond 2% of available scrap tire production; therefore, pyrolysis of scrap tires have
enough resources to keep the system running. Gas obtained from the decomposition of scrap tires can
directly be used in the pyrolysis process itself; therefore, the production can support the process for energy
saving and sustainability. Economical evaluation of the pyrolysis have shown that when tipping fee for
collecting scrap tires (F), revenue received from sale of products (R), processing cost for operating the
facility (C), cost for transportation of tires (T), cost of tire shredding (S), cost of disposal of waste products
(D) are considered with the assumption of 35% char, 20% gas, 45% oils, and using 50% of char burn-off
during activation, net profit (P) is found to be USD 1.5/tire (1996 prices) with about 6 million USD/year
gross income with investment payback of about 3.3 years.

Although methane gas is produced during the process and can be used to operate the pyrolysis facility, the
manufactured amount is not large volumes enough to sell economically. The excessive gas is usually flared
off. Pyrolysis produces pyrolytic carbon char, often confused as carbon black. Although pyrolytic carbon
char has a high carbon content, it is dissimilar to carbon black, which is a highly engineered product.
Pyrolytic carbon char is said to have limited market as a filler in some materials and as a colouring agent
for some plastics after extensive refining and cannot be easily sold in carbon black markets where there is
a lot of competition. The liquid hydrocarbon material obtained from pyrolysis unfortunately contains some
contamination and may not be suitable to be directly used as diesel fuel or in home heating; it should be
either used as waste oil or further refined. As a result, pyrolysis technology today could not reach its
intended target yet.

The pyrolysis method for scrap tires recycling involves heating whole or halved or shredded tires in a
reactor containing an oxygen free atmosphere and a heat source. In the reactor, the rubber is softened after
which the rubber polymers disintegrate into smaller molecules which eventually vaporize and exit from the
reactor. These vapors can be burned directly to produce power or condensed into an oily type liquid, called
pyrolysis oil or bio oil. Some molecules are too small to condense and remain as a gas which can be burned
as fuel. The minerals that were part of the tire, about 40% by weight, are removed as a solid. When
performed well a tire pyrolysis process is a very clean operation and has nearly no emissions or waste.
7

The heating rate of tire is an important parameter affecting the reaction time, product yield, product quality
Page

and energy requirement of the waste tire pyrolysis process. If the temperature is maintained at around
450⁰C the main product is liquid which could be a mixture of hydrocarbon depending on the initial
composition of waste material. At temperature above 700⁰C, synthetic gas (also known as syngas), a
mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, becomes the primary product due to further cracking of the
liquids.

The nature of the feedstock and process conditions defines the properties of the gas, liquid and solid
products. For example, whole tires contain fibers and steel while shredded tires have most of the steel and
sometimes most of the fiber removed. Processes can be either batch or continuous. The energy required for
thermal decomposition of the scrap tires can be in the form of directly-fired fuel, electrical induction and
or by microwaves (like a microwave oven). A catalyst may also be required to accelerate the pyrolysis
process.

 Molectra:
Among the most complicated of processes to recycle tires is the Molectra Process. It integrates mechanical,
chemical, and microwave treatments to break down the tire. There are 5 main steps to this process:
• The first step involves removing the two steel bead wires from the trim of the tire. The tire is then
sliced into segments.
• Next, the tires are treated chemically for a period of 4 hours in softening agents. This treatment
removes any contaminants, such as dirt, from the tire.
• The reinforcing steel wires and fibre cords embedded in each tire segment are mechanically
separated from the rubber using a series of rollers. Now that the rubber has been softened, these
steel wires are easily removed.
• The softened rubber is then granulated into various mesh sizes from the size of a pea, down to a
very fine powder.
• The rubber is heated either on low heat, to extract the softening chemicals and produce a 100%
pure rubber, or heated on high heat, to produce carbon and oil.
8

These processes are some of the most commonly used methods to recycle used tires. And while they all
Page

produce slightly different results, the end result is the same.

 Estimated Value Of Tire Waste
End-products Virgin Estimated Quality of Users of End-
Market Market Price End- Products
Price for TDPs Products
Recycled End- Comparable
Products to:
$2000- $700-800/ton N330, N550 Strengthening agent for tire
2600/ton and
rubber goods, coloring
agent for
plastics

$40.45/ $45-50/barrel Diesel Light Fuel, lubricants, heating Oil,

barrel Oil #2 asphalt
Heavy Oil #4
- #6
$200- $125-150/ton Busheling #1 Manufacturing Of Other
300/ton steel
products
Reused as an energy source to
heat the reactors

Recycling of Tire:
The primary products of tire pyrolysis are
pyrolytic gas (also known as pyro gas), oils,
and char. This process yields substantial
quantities of oils and char, which can
undergo additional processing to secondary,
value-added products. According to the
proposed scheme, char upgrading is
implemented in a closed-loop activation step
that yields an activated carbon and
eliminates undesirable byproducts and
emissions. A stream of C02 is used for high-
temperature char activation, which is
followed by C02 recovery through the
reverse Boudouard reaction. The latter step
is an optional feature of the proposed
process. Upgrading the char produces high
surface-area activated carbon and finely divided carbon, which we refer to as the Boudouard carbon. Ash-
free oils are turned into high-quality carbon black by using the furnace process. As an alternative, oils can
9

be added products such as high-grade feed stocks by distillation. Product upgrading is expected to
Page

greatly improve the economics of scrap tire pyrolysis. A stream of scrap tires enters the pyrolizer, where it
comes into contact with a recycle stream of product gas, which acts as a carrier gas for pyrolysis. Mixing
used tires with other waste material and solid waste pre-treatment are optional features of the process.

Another option is to recycle part of the pyrolysis oil from the condenser into the pyrolizer; It is expected
that the recycled oil will undergo partial cracking, leading to an altered gas composition at the reactor
outlet. System flexibility allows for wide variations in the ratio of gas to oil recycling, depending on product
characteristics and requirements. The pyrolizer operates at -1173 K, and the product streams are fuel gas
(which also contains pyrolysis liquids) and char. The pyrolysis liquids are separated from the volatile in a
condenser and then subjected to partial combustion in an oil furnace to produce carbon black. The latter
step is almost identical to the commercial carbon black manufacturing, except that the feed stock is
pyrolysis oil rather than a petroleum product. The high-BTU gas is combusted to supply the process heat
requirements. The solid product does not have sufficient surface area to make it commercially attractive,
and thus, an activation step is needed. Char activation uses C02 at the same temperature as the pyrolizer
(-1173 K), which reduces the C02 to CO. The consumed C02 is regenerated in a Boudouard reactor with
simultaneous formation of finely divided carbon. The net result of this process is the conversion of used
tires into three marketable products: activated carbon, carbon black, and Boudouard carbon.

The tires are shredded and possibly combined with another waste stream. The use of mixed wastes would
improve the appeal. The size reduction required for scrap tires does not appear to be excessive. In fact,
higher char activation efficiency were reported for coarse waste material (-170 mg) than for fine particles
(<50 mesh). Because the cost of shredding increases with decreasing particle size, there is an economic
incentive to make the tire pieces as large as possible.
Although a rotary kiln reactor has been successfully used for pyrolysis of tires. A kinetic analysis of tire
pyrolysis indicates that the process is relatively fast and can be completed in < 1 s at 873 K. This speed
allows the use of an entrained -flow reactor, which is appropriate for high-throughput applications.

 Into Boudouard carbon production from CO:

 Raw material(s): scrap tire, fuel gas
 End product(s): Boudouard carbon and carbon monoxide
 Equipment: tire pyrolysis plant

The temperature of the Boudouard reactor is maintained at 773-800 K, and the carbon product is ash free
and has a particle size significantly smaller than can be obtained by grinding. In fact, the particle size of
Boudouard carbon is small enough to bum completely in a diesel engine. Boudouard carbon is similar to
carbon black (except for having a zero-hydrogen content), and in some cases, can be substituted for carbon
black. The potential applications of this product include the manufacture of colorants and lubricants. The
production of finely divided carbon from CO has never been commercialized, presumably because of the
relatively high value of CO and uncertainties associated with marketing Boudouard carbon. During World
War II, however, the reaction was used in Germany to produce a substitute for carbon black.
The fuel gases produced during pyrolysis can be used to provide process heat for the pyrolysis and
activation stages. Some heat can also be recovered from the manufacturing of carbon black by partial
combustion of the oil and from the production of Boudouard carbon. Existing small particles can be fed
into such a reactor, mainly because of heat-transfer limitations. For the larger pieces of tire material, a
fluidized-bed reactor could be used. In either case, a hot cyclone is desirable to separate char particles
from the volatile. In this scheme, char activation by C02 takes place in a separate reactor, allowing the
oxides of carbon to be cycled between the activation step (producing CO) and a disproportionation step
(producing C02 and carbon). In this way, C02 is periodically consumed (activation) and regenerated
10

(disproportionation), and CO and C02 stay relatively pure.

Page
Another possibility is to use a moving-bed counter current system. Although the solids throughput would
necessarily be lower, this disadvantage would be offset by combining the pyrolysis and char activation
stages in a single reactor. In this scheme, tire pieces would be fed into the reactor at the top and C02 at the
bottom. A temperature of -1173 K would prevail at the bottom of the reactor so that the char would be
progressively pyrolyzed and then activated as it moves through the reactor. This design simplifies the
process of feeding the tire pieces and eliminates the need for a hot cyclone because the volatiles and char
come out of opposite ends of the reactor. The tire processing unit would operate under atmospheric
pressure because there is little or no advantage in producing activated carbon at an elevated pressure. The
coal gasification system is internally heated by introducing 02 at the bottom and partially combusting a
portion of the coal. In the tire-processing reactor, the pyrolysis gases that come off the top of the unit would
be combusted externally, and the hot exhaust gases (mostly C02 and H20) would be introduced into the
bottom of the reactor for char activation. The reactor would be insulated to prevent heat losses. The single-
reactor scheme for processing tires has two disadvantages: The pyrolysis gas has a lower heating value
because it is diluted with the flue gas, and if Boudouard carbon is to be produced, a fairly complex
separation step is required to recover pure CO from the pyrolysis gas. Previous work has shown that the
final activated carbon product is not very sensitive to the conditions under which pyrolysis is carried out,
thus allowing for greater design flexibility.

It is shown that activation using an 8% C02/He mixture at 1173 K for 3-10 h is sufficient to obtain chars
with high surface area. The residence time can be reduced by raising the temperature, increasing the C02
partial pressure, or by using steam instead of C02. The char activation chemistry can be represented by the
following two reactions:

C02 + C → CO (char activation)

H20 + C → CO + H2 (steam activation)
Both reactions are endothermic, and the equilibrium reaction becomes more favorable as the temperature
increases. The use of steam produces a higher reaction rate and a higher surface area product, and the use
of C02 increases the production of CO from the activation step. The CO can then be subjected to the reverse
Boudouard reaction for the production of finely divided carbon.

 Into Carbon black:

 Raw material(s): oils from tire
 End product(s): carbon black
 Equipment: tire pyrolysis plant

The oils from tire pyrolysis can be used to produce carbon black because the properties of tire-derived oils
are similar to those of the petroleum fraction used in carbon black manufacturing. In the oil furnace
process, a highly aromatic feedstock is converted to carbon black by partial combustion and pyrolysis at
1673-1923 K in a refractory-lined steel reactor. The properties of carbon black that are important in
reinforcement applications-in tires, for example-are particle size and structure (degree of agglomeration
into three-dimensional networks). These properties are controlled by the nozzle design, reaction chamber
geometry, temperature, residence time, and turbulence intensity. As an alternative to carbon black
production, the oil from tire pyrolysis can be used for its fuel value, although it requires additional
processing to remove aromatic components.
11

The conversion of the oil stream to carbon black is a more attractive option for several reasons:
• A solid product is easier to store and handle.
Page

• The value of the solid product is higher than that of any possible fuel.
 • Little or no upgrading of the material

 Into Fuel Oil:

 Raw material(s): scrap tires, fuel gas/ charcoal
 End product(s): fuel oil
 Equipment: tire pyrolysis plant

The yield of oil from tire pyrolysis is high (-50 wt % of initial tire rubber), reflecting the potential of tire
rubber as a substitute for fossil fuel and chemical feedstocks. The oils have high aromaticity, low sulfur
content, and are considered relatively good fuels. The molecular weight range of the oils was up to 1600
with an average molecular weight in the 300-400 range. The average molecular weight increases with
increasing pyrolysis temperature and with decreasing heating rate. Infrared analysis of the oils indicated
the presence of alkanes, alkenes, ketones or aldehydes, aromatic, polyaromatic and substituted aromatic
groups. An increase in pyrolysis temperature produced a decrease in the aliphatic fraction and an increase
in the aromatic fraction. Aliphatic hydrocarbons and alkylbenzenes are the major components of the oil if
the pyrolysis is performed in the presence of water, and the average molecular weight of the aliphatic
hydrocarbons was 164 and that of alkylbenzenes was 180. These average molecular weights are lower than
the values for the oils from tire pyrolysis under an inert environment. This may indicate that the cracking
of oil molecules during pyrolysis is promoted by the introduction of water. The oil product from tire
pyrolysis is a potential source of energy and chemicals. The oils may be used directly as fuel or added to
petroleum refinery feedstocks. The composition of the gasoline boiling fraction was reported to be
comparable to that of petroleum gasoline. The derived oils may also be an important source of refined
chemicals, because it has been reported that they contain high concentrations of valuable chemical
feedstocks, such as benzene, toluene and xylene

The batch operating pyrolysis plant recycle the waste tyre to fuel oil by the process described as follows:
• The waste tires are put into reactor and make reactor rotate clockwise 0.4-0.8 r/min. The feeding
inlet door is tightly sealed and it is ensured no gas leakage happens.
• The reactor is heated by using coal, charcoal, fuel gas, wood etc., as heating materials. The reactor
is slowly heated, and when the temperature reach about 250 degrees, the oil gas will be formed.
• The oil gas coming out from the reactor then goes to condensing system and get liquid oil. The gas
which can’t be liquefied under normal pressure will be designed to go back to combustion system
through safety device. It can be recycled to heat the reactor as fuel, which will save energy for the
whole working process.
• After finishing oil production, the temperature of the reactor will cool down. When the temperature
falls down to 40 degrees, carbon black and steel wire are obtained.

12
Page
When the whole tyre to oil recycling process is over, we can get about pyrolysis oil, steel wire and carbon
black from tyre pyrolysis. The fuel oil can be used as industrial fuel materials for burning, or further
refined to diesel. The carbon black can be used for construction bricks with clay or used as fuel. The steel
wire can be re-sale or reprocessing

 Into mercury sorbents:

 Raw material(s): scrap tires, Sulphur
 End product(s): mercury sorbent
 Equipment: tire pyrolysis plant

From pyrolysis of scrap tires removal and recovery of mercury from combustion/incineration flue gas, can
be achieved. The approach is based on mercury adsorption on low-cost, sulfur-rich activated carbons
derived from scrap tires. The sulfur added to tire rubber in the process of vulcanization makes the tire-
derived sorbents particularly effective in mercury removal. As scrap tires undergo thermal decomposition
in oxygen free atmosphere, the solid product of pyrolysis (tire char) subsequently is converted into activated
carbon. The sulfur content increases during tire processing, which is believed to facilitate mercury-capture
efficiency.

 Into gases:
 Raw material(s): scrap tires, oxygen
 End product: gases such as CO,CO2,H2 etc.
 Equipment: tire pyrolysis plant
Gases produced from tire pyrolysis are mainly hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane,
ethane and butadiene, with lower concentrations of propane, propene, butane and other hydrocarbon
gases. The temperature for the maximum evolution rate of each gas shifts to higher temperature levels as
heating rate is increased. There was an increase in the total gas emission with heating rate and a
corresponding decrease in oil yield. Pyrolysis carried out in the presence of water increases the production
of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This is thought to result from the occurrence of carbon gasification by
steam. The total yield of gases and tars increases with temperature up to 650°C, after which there is no
significant change in product yield.

The gas yields during pyrolysis were significantly increased by oxygen pretreatment. There was no surprise
to see the enhanced evolution of H2O, CO, CO, and SO, due to oxygen pretreatment, since oxygen would
react with the components in the tire, and result in the increase of oxygen containing products from
pyrolysis.

Commercial Use
Property Development
Mines
Government And Schools
Customer Base
branded mats, planters, recycle bins, cladding
bollards, safety barriers, outdoor planters, playgrounds
bollards, barriers, blasting media, environ mental, matting & sumps
playgrounds, street furniture, road barriers, manhole covers, sports fields,
pin boards

Key Retail pots, trellises, picket fencing, shelving, umbrella bases, pet products
13
Page
Applications of Used Tires:
Used or worn out tires have a number of uses. Although most worn out tires are burnt for fuel, scrap tires
still have other significant uses as can be viewed below:

 Construction Materials:
An entire home can be built using whole tires by simply
ramming them together filed with earth and later covering
them with concrete identified as earth ships. Used tires can
also be used in different civil engineering applications for
example embankments and sub grade fill. They can be used
for bridge abutments and as back fill for walls. used tires
are also utilized as barriers for instance collision
reduction, blasting mats, rainwater runoff and wave action
that protects marshes and piers as well as used as sound
barriers between residences and roadways.

 Used In Apparel Products:

The process of recycling rubber through stamping and
cutting gives large pieces that can be used in the making of
sandals, or road sub-base. The prices can also be connected
together to form a flexible net.

 Civil Engineering Applications:

The shredded tires also referred to as Tire Derived
Aggregate have a number of applications in civil
engineering. For example, they can be used in retaining
wall backfill, slope stabilization, vibration migration,
landfill applications. lightweight embankment fill. road
repair. septic system draining fields and subgrade road
insulation.

 Ground and Crumb Rubber:

Ground rubber commonly referred to as size-reduced
rubber, has a number of applications. For example, it can
be used in paving projects or be moulded into products.
Common examples of rubber moulded products include
carpet padding, rubber flooring materials, patio decks,
livestock mats, movable speed bumps, sidewalks, dock
bumpers, railroad crossing blocks just to mention but a few.

 Carbon Source:
Instead of using coke or coal in steel mills, rubber can be
used as a source of fuel. In fact, studies have recommended
that steel mills should adopt burning of rubber as fuel
instead of coal, since coal is mined and can be depleted.
14

Using rubber as fuel is a great way for these mills to go

green and reduce their carbon fingerprints.
Page
  Energy source:
Tire-derived fuel (TDF) refers to scrap tires that have been
shredded and can then be used as a supplement for traditional
fires. Fires fueled by tires are notoriously out of control, so
TDF pieces are typically used in combustion devices where
they can burn efficiently at high temperatures in a controlled
environment.

 Steel source:
Tires are made up of roughly 20% steel content. The best
recycling facilities can clean the extracted steel and make it
as free from contaminants as possible. The steel then goes to
smelters and gets processed and reused in other ways.

 Source of Fiber and Nylon:

15% of a tire is made up of fiber and nylon. When extracted,
this material can be used for products such as: Tired-derived
fuel, Cleanup material, Carpet, Fiberglass, Concrete and
Stucco

 Replacement Of Oil And Rubber

Materials:
Rubber powder is a high-performance, low-cost material that
replace oil and rubber based materials. The powder is a
sustainable material, and has no adverse effects on humans.
The market for rubber powder keeps getting bigger and
bigger. Right now, rubber powder can be used to create the
same materials crumb rubber creates: more rubber, plastic,
sealing materials, and other products.

 Wastewater Treatment Filters:

Tire chips can be shredded into a specific and uniform size,
making them useful in a variety of ways. Another innovative
use is filters in wastewater treatment and constructed
wetlands. Because tires can be chipped to be more or less
porous than organic compounds, rocks and other material,
they often serve as a much better filter media.
15
Page
References:
1 Http://ecogreenequipment.com/7-byproducts-of-tire-recycling/
2 Https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/mercury.pdf
3 Http://westerntirerecyclers.com/5-different-ways-to-recycle-tires/
4 Https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/tirerecycling.php
5 Https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pyrolysis-scrap-tires-can-profitable-samuel-gizaw
6 Https://www.bioenergyconsult.com/pyrolysis-of-scrap-tires/
7 Https://espace.curtin.edu.au/handle/20.500.11937/845
8 Http://tyrepyrolysisplants.net/tyre-to-oil-recycling-process.html
9 Https://www.ecolomondo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/White-pagesfinal.pdf
10 Https://www.smithersrapra.com/smithersrapra/media/Sample-Chapters/Recycling-and-Re-use-of-
Waste-Rubber.pdf
11 Http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/32586/intech-Recycling_of_scrap_tires.pdf
12 Https://waste-management-world.com/a/scrap-tyre-recycling
13 Http://sawic.environment.gov.za/documents/3956.pdf
14 Https://web.anl.gov/PCS/acsfuel/preprint%20archive/Files/37_2_SAN%20FRANCISCO_04-
92_0533.pdf

16
Page