The Ultimate Guide to Tyre Recycling: Everything You Need to Know!

Getting tyres replaced as soon as you notice wear and tear is the best you can do for your vehicle’s life and performance. Most importantly, timely tyre replacement is crucial for your safety. But what happens to your old tyres? Are they repaired to be used again? No, your old tyres get recycled. Yes, you read it right. Tires do not end in landfills. Instead, they are recycled.  

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This blog is a detailed look into how tyres can be recycled, why it is beneficial to recycle them and what products can be made from recycled tyres. So, start reading below to find appropriate answers to all these questions. 

Is Tyre Recycling Possible?

Yes, definitely. Recycling tyres is possible. The lifespan of tyres is quite long. However, they do start showing signs of wear and tear with time. It is when you need to replace them with new ones. Usually, tyre replacement is required when they reach a tread depth of 1.6 mm. Timely tyre replacement is necessary to remain law-compliant. Also, it is essential to replace them in a timely manner to ensure your safety. Therefore, you should know how old tyres should be before replacement.

Earlier, old tyres were thrown away in landfills, leading to increased pollution and other environmental issues. But what if we told you that there is a better alternative than disposing of them in landfills? Yes, we are talking about tyre recycling. With constant advancements, the tyre industry has become one of the most advanced industries in the end-of-life product management landscape. 

Is Tyre Recycling Profitable?

Is recycling tyres important? Yes, it is. Below are some points that will perfectly answer your question- Is tyre recycling profitable? 

Old and worn tyres form a significant portion of a country’s waste every year. They end up in landfills, taking up a lot of valuable space. Every country has landfills filled with illegally dumped tyres. These tyres might catch fire and release harmful smoke and gases. Also, if not noticed, a tyre can burn for days once it catches fire. They can severely pollute the air with their dangerous smoke. However, if they are recycled, they result in the most useful recycled tyre products that cause no such harm to the environment. 

If a dealer does not dispose of tyres in landfills and store them in stockpiles, these storages can turn into a home for breeding and vermin of disease-carrying mosquitoes. In such cases, public health can be severely affected due to the irresponsible disposal of old tyres. On the other hand, tyre recycling can completely prevent such situations. 

Tires are a crucial part of vehicles. As a result, they are manufactured from strong and durable materials. They contain a mixture of elements like rubber, textile, steel and traces of chemicals and oils. Although these materials contribute significantly to a tyre's performance, they make them non-biodegradable. Therefore, disposing of them in landfills is of no help. 

How can Tyres be Recycled?

Reading above must have made you realise the importance of recycling tyres. But how can tyres be recycled? They are recycled by following a thorough process, as explained below. 

Rubber Shredding

The first step in this process is to shred the rubber. For this, quite complex machinery is used, which is also very expensive. Usually, a rotary shear shredder machine is used to shred the rubber. It is paired with two rotating shafts that operate at a low speed of 20-40 rpm and high torque. 

Initially, the tyres get shredded into strip-like pieces. Usually, a tyre is shredded into three pieces to separate the steel belted portion from the tread part of the tyre. This process is done to remove thick 1-inch steel beads from the tyre. The De-beading process is essential to reduce the wear and tear of the machines used for shredding. This results in shredding the tyre into large pieces. 

Steel and Textile Fibres Removal

The following step in the recycling process converting the large shredded pieces of tyres into smaller sizes in the granulator. This step also involves using magnets in the granulator to remove the small steel fibres from them. In this step, polyester fibres are also removed from the tyre’s pieces by using a combination of wind sifters, shaking screens and low vacuum suction at different stages. Now, the residue consists of rubber granulation that is crushed into coarse powder for utilisation in various areas.

Cryogenic Grinding Technology 

The process described above in the previous step for removing textile fibres and steel fibres can also be done by subjecting the tyres to low temperatures. This process is known as the cryogenic process as it involves quite low temperatures. The temperature in this process goes as low as -80℃ to -120℃. It involves cooling the whole tyre or its granulate to -120℃. The cooling down process makes the tyre brittle and hard like glass. Now, it is crushed or ground to a fine size of 50-250 micrometres in special mills. The cryogenic grinding process requires less energy and machinery than the regular process used for this. Also, it is easier to liberate steel and fibre using this process to give a cleaner product. However, one major drawback of this process is that the coolant used in it- liquid nitrogen is quite expensive. 

Tyre Pyrolysis

Another significant method used in tyre recycling is pyrolysis. It is a thermo-chemical process that involves breaking down organic substances into simpler forms in the presence of high temperatures and the absence of oxygen. The pyrolysis method has its residual product as a fuel oil that can be used in industries like ceramics, hotels, power, iron, boiler factories, steel, and chemical industries. This fuel is also used by generators to produce electricity. 

What can Car Tyres be Recycled Into?

Numerous recycled tyre products can be made. Some of the most useful and common ones are listed below. 

Virgin rubber compounds use crumb rubber as filler. 

The granulated rubber powder from tyre recycling is significantly used to form playground covers and sporting surfaces. 

Recycled tyre rubber is used to make moulded products like railroad crossings, gymnasium mats, rubber paving blocks and livestock mats. 

The recycled tyre rubber can be devulcanised for varying uses. 

It is used to form rubber-modified asphalt. 

It is also used for several civil engineering and construction applications. 

Recycled tyre rubber is also used for making shoe soles, handicrafts, door mats, silo covers and playground swings.

Ultimate Mission for Tyre Recycling

Being a leading tyre manufacturer, we understand what goes into manufacturing them and how tyres are non-biodegradable. Our mission is to offer you the highest quality new tyres. However, we also find it our responsibility to dispose of the used ones appropriately. With this vision, we have started our initiative- Pledge Your Tyres. 

Summing Up

Reading above must have made you aware of how harmful tyres can be if not disposed of properly. It must have also made you realise the significance of tyre recycling. So, do not get your tyres replaced by dealers that dispose of the used tyres in landfills.

All About Rubber Tire Recycling: A Comprehensive Overview

Each year globally, 1.5 billion tires go to waste.

Finding circular and cost-effective tire recycling solutions is a major challenge because of the severe environmental impact of end-of-life tires. Synthetic rubber, the main component in tires, is very difficult to recycle.

Each year globally, 1.5 billion tires go to waste. These volumes explain why the need to fix tire recycling is urgent.

In this article, you will learn all about rubber tire recycling.

What is rubber tire recycling

Methods to recycle car tires

About tire pyrolysis

The sustainable development of new tire recycling technologies

What is rubber tire recycling?

Rubber tire recycling is the process of converting end-of-life tires, which can’t be used anymore due to damage or wear, into reusable material. 

Tires have a limited lifespan, as they suffer damage through regular use. Tread depth decreases through normal wear and tear, and tires become unsafe with tread depths of less than 1.6 cm. Hot summer temperatures, improper alignment, and other factors can also damage tires, further restricting their lifespan.

Technological advances helped tire producers to increase the average mileage for light vehicle tires from 45,000 km in to 69,000 km in . But, people are driving to km each year. And with more cars produced and driven globally, numbers of end-of-life tires (ELTs) keep increasing every year.

Instead of treating ELTs as waste, tire recycling treats them as resources for recovering materials. Material components recovered from ELTs are 45 per cent natural and synthetic rubber, 28 per cent carbon black, 13 per cent steel, and 14 per cent textiles and other additives for passenger car tires.

How to recycle car tires

The EU’s DIRECTIVE /98/EC defines recycling as an operation to create products or materials from waste for the original or other purposes. It doesn’t cover energy recovery or the use of materials for backfilling. Rubber tire recycling involves collecting and treating ELTs to recover the materials in the tire, which prevents sending the tire waste to landfills.

Collection

In the EU, there are three systems of tire collection:

Extended producer Responsibility: In most EU countries, producers collect ELTs under Extended Producer Responsibility systems. Producers then recycle the ELTs or collaborate with specialised organisations.

Free market Systems: All stakeholders in the waste recycling chain work under free-market conditions but comply with the required legislation.

Tax system: The government manages tire waste collection and recycling and levies a tax on tire products.

Figure 2: “The Three ELT management systems in Europe,” ETRMA. (Image credits: https://www.etrma.org/key-topics/circular-economy/)

Next, collecting organisations sort the tires for energy recovery and different recycling pathways. Material recycling, entire tire recycling, and recovery through pyrolysis are three rubber tire recycling possibilities.

Material Recycling

This is the most common rubber tire recycling method. There are two techniques- grinding to produce granules and devulcanisation to make rubber regenerates.  

Grinding: This requires special machines and several steps:

1. Steel rims and textile cord separation take place before grinding begins. Steel requires melting before reuse. Textiles undergo cleaning before use in energy recovery or as insulation material.

2. There are two main methods for grinding the scrap rubber– ambient temperature grinding and cryogenic grinding.

Ambient temperature grinding relies on mechanical grinding with shredders, mills, and knives. Repeated processing produces crumb rubber of the required size above 0.3 mm, with rough edges. Cooling is necessary to prevent combustion as the process generates heat.

Cryogenic grinding uses liquid nitrogen to freeze tire shreds to temperatures below -80oC. Hammer mills crush the brittle rubber to give small, uniform-sized particles of 75 µm, with smooth surfaces and clean, sharp edges. Electromagnets remove steel bits and other processes remove fabrics. This rubber is purer but more expensive than ambient temperature ground rubber.

Several processes like wet grinding, the Berstoff’s method, and cracker and hyperboloidal cutting mills improve ambient temperature grinding steps to produce fine-sized rubber dust.

3. Rubber screening of the granulates ensures there is no steel wire and other tire parts. Sorting according to granulate size follows this stage. Granulates of various sizes and types are useful for varying purposes.

4. Cleaning the granulates is the last process before packing the granules.

Devulcanisation: This process decomposes natural rubber by breaking down the cross-linking bonds formed during vulcanisation. Thermochemical, physical, and biological means of devulcanisation exist. But the process degrades rubber polymers leading to a loss of many rubber properties.

Entire rubber tire recycling

Civil engineering uses entire tires because of their shape, size, elasticity, stability, and ability to dampen noise and shock vibrations. Tire shreds (50-300 mm), and tire chips (10-50 mm) also have applications in civil engineering, such as the production of paving blocks/tiles, athletic tracks, and absorbing mats for stables.

What are tire pyrolysis technologies?

The third way of recycling ELTs to recover materials is more recent. Pyrolysis is an old thermochemical method, but its use for tire recycling has just begun. The word pyrolysis consists of two words: Pyro = heat, lysis = breakdown into parts.

Synthetic rubber in tires has plastic polymers or long chains of hydrocarbons. Pyrolysis heats shredded tires in an oxygen-less atmosphere under controlled conditions at high temperatures between 400-700°C, in special reactors. In the absence of oxygen, the waste tire cannot burn but decomposes.

The heat catalyses chemical reactions, which break down the large vulcanised molecules into smaller compounds to produce Carbon Black, gas, oil, and other chemicals. Most of the vaporised gases, when cooled, liquify to produce oils rich in aromatic hydrocarbons.

The remaining gas is an excellent fuel that can replace natural gas. Steel bits are removed before heating. The burnt portion at the end is Carbon Black, an important reinforcement material for tires.

Sustainable development of rubber tire recycling technologies

The adoption of novel technologies like pyrolysis for tire recycling is not widespread.

Tire recycling remains a problem on a global scale.  ELTs make up2 per cent of solid waste, and currently,75 per cent of ELTs end up in landfills.

Though ELTs are categorised as non-hazardous waste, they produce leachates that cause land and water pollution.

Pile of discarded auto and tractor tires in rural landfill, abandoned farms

ELTs also pose a fire hazard. For example, in , a vast illegal dump of ELTs near Sesena in Spain caught fire and burnt for 20 days. The burning tires released toxic compounds like sulphur oxides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and fine particulate dust. These airborne pollutants also got indoors and increased cancer risks for people living nearby.

The initial attempts at ELT management, such as open burning and use as fuel for cement kilns, had the same negative impact on the environment and people.

More recent rubber tire recycling products also have environmental issues. Ground rubber in artificial turfs and sports fields leads to microplastic pollution. So do tire shreds used for civil engineering.

Efficient tire recycling through pyrolysis can prevent these disasters and pollution.

EU Tire collection regulations in tire recycling and pyrolysis industry

Globally, tire companies are leveraging pyrolysis technology to join the circular economy. This is partly to follow EU regulations on waste management.

The Landfill Directive (EC Directive /31) aims to reduce the amount of waste dumped in landfills. It also encouraged nations to set up laws to improve recycling and recover materials and energy to protect natural resources.

The EU Waste Directive /98/EC defines wastes, material recovery, recycling, and energy recovery to guide industries. However, the definition of ELTs has resulted in additional costs and work in terms of collection and transportation for the tire industry.

This hurdle remains since the recent Revision Directive (EU) /851 has not yet tackled the issue. However, this EU directive has renewed its emphasis on extended producer responsibility schemes. Here producers are responsible and have to pay for the disposal of end-of-life products.

As a result, tire manufacturers are aiming for circularity. They want to get secondary raw materials and use renewable resources. The tire industry relies on the 7Rs hierarchy from production to post-consumption stages to guide it.

New operations for tire creation will prioritise: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Redesign, Renew, Repair, and Recover!

Pyrolysis fits well in this hierarchy. This tire recycling process can help tire manufacturers close the loop for many tire components.

What are the value-added products and applications of recycled rubber materials?

Conventional recycling products like rubber crumbs and powder are no longer profitable in developed countries due to market saturation. This has led to a great interest in secondary products from pyrolysis, all of which are in demand and many are lucrative.

Carbon Black: Recovered Carbon Black is the most attractive. It accounts for 33 per cent of the pyrolysis output. High-quality recovered Carbon Black can replace 25 per cent of the virgin Carbon Black produced from fossil fuels in tire manufacturing. Recovered Carbon Black is also useful in paints, inks, industrial, and consumer rubber goods like cables, wires, etc.

Recovered steel: Though not as pricey as the other products, there is a high demand for the 15 per cent steel recovered.

Some new applications of conventional recycled products are also profitable:

Rubber crumbs and powder can be used to make moulded rubber products like dustbins, urban furniture, wheelbarrows, railroad ties, etc.

Devulcanisation: Rubber regenerates from devulcanisation can be used to make rubber mixtures for manufacturing footwear, washers, cables, rubber slabs, mats, etc.

For any recycling method to work, various stakeholders must work together, like tire users, public institutions, private companies, and treatment facilities, to apply these applications.

This is especially true for circular options like pyrolysis, where producers and recycling units can work together to plan and develop new products that are more sustainable. For more information about tire recycling, subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter to receive industry-related information about the circular economy in manufacturing.

Tire recycling

Reuse of waste tires

Tire arm chair Tires are among the most problematic sources of waste. Progress in recycling has resulted in a major reduction in dumping.

Tire recycling, or rubber recycling, is the process of recycling waste tires that are no longer suitable for use on vehicles due to wear or irreparable damage. These tires are a challenging source of waste, due to the large volume produced, the durability of the tires, and the components in the tire that are ecologically problematic.[1]

Because tires are highly durable and non-biodegradable, they can consume valuable space in landfills.[1] If waste tires are improperly managed they may cause rubber pollution. In , it was estimated that over 1 billion scrap tires were in stockpiles in the United States. As of , only 67 million tires remain in stockpiles.[2] From to , the European Union increased the amount of tires recycled from 25% of annual discards to nearly 95%, with roughly half of the end-of-life tires used for energy, mostly in cement manufacturing.[3][4]

Pyrolysis and devulcanization could facilitate recycling. Aside from use as fuel, the main end use for tires remains ground crumb rubber.[2][5] In , 13% of U.S. tires removed from their primary use were sold in the used tire market. Of the tires that were scrapped, 43% were burnt as tire-derived fuel, with cement manufacturing the largest user, another 25% were used to make ground rubber, 8% were used in civil engineering projects, 17% were disposed of in landfills and 8% had other uses.[6] Globally, tire graveyards are a common environmental hazard, with significant pollutants and other challenges. For example, the Sulaibiya tire graveyard in Kuwait has had repeat highly toxic fires.[7]

Tire life cycle

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The tire life cycle can be recognized through the following steps:

Product developments and innovations such as improved compounds and camber tire shaping increase tire life, increments of replacement, consumer safety, and reduce tire waste.

Proper manufacturing and quality of delivery reduces waste at production.

Direct distribution through retailers, reduces inventory time and ensures that the life span and the safety of the products are explained to customers.

Consumers' use and maintenance choices like tire rotation and alignment affect tire wear and safety of operation.

Manufacturers and retailers set policies on return, retread, and replacement to reduce the waste generated from tires and assume responsibility for taking the 'tire to its grave' or to its reincarnation.

Recycling tires by developing strategies that combust or process waste into new products, creates viable businesses, and fulfilling public policies.

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Tires in a natural area after Hurricane Katrina created debris. Tires left in landfills and other waste retention areas are likely to enter the environment during flooding or other extreme weather events.

Landfill disposal

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If you want to learn more, please visit our website 10 ton tire pyrolysis plant.

Tires are not desired at landfills, due to their large volumes and 75% void space.[9] Tires can trap methane gases, causing them to become buoyant, or bubble to the surface. This 'bubbling' effect can damage landfill liners that have been installed to help keep landfill contaminants from polluting local surface and ground water.[8] The EU Landfill Directive prohibits the disposal of used tires in landfill.[10]

Shredded tires are now being used in landfills, replacing other construction materials, for a lightweight back-fill in gas venting systems, leachate collection systems, and operational liners. Shredded tire material may also be used to cap, close, or daily cover landfill sites.[11] Scrap tires as a back-fill and cover material are also more cost-effective, since tires can be shredded on-site instead of hauling in other fill materials.

Stockpiles and legal dumping

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Used tires in foreground waiting to be shredded and shredded tires in background

Tire stockpiles create a great health and safety risk. Tire fires can easily occur, burning for long periods, up to a month and also creating substantial pollution in the air and ground. Recycling helps to reduce the number of tires in storage. An additional health risk, tire piles provide harborage for vermin and a breeding ground for mosquitoes that may carry diseases. Illegal dumping of scrap tires pollutes ravines, woods, deserts, and empty lots; which has led many states to pass scrap tire regulations requiring proper management. Tire amnesty day events, in which community members can deposit a limited number of waste tires free of charge, can be funded by state scrap tire programs, helping decrease illegal dumping and improper storage of scrap tires.

Tire storage and recycling are sometimes linked with illegal activities and lack of environmental awareness.[12]

Uses

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Although tires are usually burnt, not recycled, efforts are continuing to find value. Tires can be reclaimed into, among other things, the hot melt asphalt, typically as crumb rubber modifier—recycled asphalt pavement (CRM—RAP),[13][14] and as an aggregate in Portland cement concrete[15] Efforts have been made to use recycled tires as raw material for new tires, but such tires may integrate recycled materials no more than 5% by weight, and tires that contain recycled material are inferior to new tires,[5] suffering from reduced tread life and lower traction.[16] Tires have also been cut up and used in garden beds as bark mulch to hold in the water and to prevent weeds from growing. Some "green" buildings, both private and public, have been made from old tires.

Pyrolysis can be used to reprocess the tires into fuel gas, oils, solid residue (char), and low-grade carbon black, which cannot be used in tire manufacture. A pyrolysis method which produces activated carbon and high-grade carbon black has been suggested.[17]

Cement manufacturing

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Used tires being fed mid-kiln to a pair of long cement kilns

Old tires can be used as an alternative fuel in the manufacturing of Portland cement, a key ingredient in concrete. Whole tires are commonly introduced into cement kilns, by rolling them into the upper end of a preheater kiln, or by dropping them through a slot midway along a long wet kiln. In either case, the high gas temperatures (– °C) cause almost instantaneous, complete and smokeless combustion of the tire. Alternatively, tires are chopped into 5–10 mm chips, in which form they can be injected into a precalciner combustion chamber. Some iron input is required in manufacturing cement, so the iron content of steel-belted tires is beneficial to the process.[18]

Tire-derived products

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Shredded tires Tires can be shredded into small blocks for fuel with a tire shredder. Closeup of shredded tires 1 ton bags of crumb rubber

Tires can be reused in many ways, although most used tires are burnt for their fuel value.[19] In a report cited by the U.S. EPA, it is stated that markets ("both recycling and beneficial use") existed for 80.4% of scrap tires, about 233 million tires per year. Assuming 22.5 pounds (10.2 kg) per tire, the report predicts a total weight of about 2.62 million tonnes (2,580,000 long tons; 2,890,000 short tons) from tires.[20]

New products derived from waste tires generate more economic activity than combustion or other low multiplier production, while reducing waste stream without generating excessive pollution and emissions from recycling operations.[8]

Construction materials. Entire homes can be built with whole tires by filling them with earth and covering them with concrete, a common material in earthships. They are used in civil engineering applications such as sub-grade fill and embankments, back-fill for walls and bridge abutments, sub-grade insulation for roads, landfill projects, and septic system drain fields. Tires are also bound together and used as different types of barriers such as: collision reduction, erosion control, rainwater runoff, blasting mats, wave action that protects piers and marshes, and sound barriers between roadways and residences.

Artificial reefs are built using tires that are bonded together in groups. There is some controversy on how effective tires are as an artificial reef system; an example is The Osborne Reef Project which has become an environmental nightmare that will cost millions of dollars to rectify.

The process of stamping and cutting tires is used in some apparel products, such as sandals and as a road sub-base, by connecting together the cut sidewalls to form a flexible net.

The markets predicted by the report were: tire derived fuel (TDF) using 130 million tires, civil engineering projects using 56 million tires, ground rubber turned into molded rubber products using 18 million tires, ground rubber turned into rubber-modified asphalt using 12 million tires, Exported items using 9 million tires, cut, stamped and punched products using 6.5 million tires, and agricultural and miscellaneous uses 3 million tires.

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Shredded tires, known as Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA), have many civil engineering applications. TDA can be used as a back-fill for retaining walls, fill for landfill gas trench collection wells, back-fill for roadway landslide repair projects as well as a vibration damping material for railway lines.

Ground and crumb rubber, also known as size-reduced rubber, can be used in both paving type projects and in mold-able products. These types of paving are: Rubber Modified Asphalt (RMA), Rubber Modified Concrete, and as a substitution for an aggregate. Examples of rubber-molded products are carpet padding or underlay, flooring materials, dock bumpers, patio decks, railroad crossing blocks, livestock mats, sidewalks, rubber tiles and bricks, movable speed bumps, and curbing/edging. The rubber can be molded with plastic for products like pallets and railroad ties. Athletic and recreational areas can also be paved with the shock absorbing rubber-molded material. Rubber from tires is sometimes ground into medium-sized chunks and used as rubber mulch. Rubber crumb can also be used as an infill, alone or blended with coarse sand, as in infill for grass-like synthetic turf products such as Field-turf.

Steel mills can use tires as a carbon source, replacing coal or coke in steel manufacturing.

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Tires are also often recycled for use on basketball courts and new shoe products.

Tire pyrolysis

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The pyrolysis method for recycling used tires is a technique which heats whole or shredded tires in a reactor vessel containing an oxygen-free atmosphere. In the reactor, the rubber is softened after which the rubber polymers break down into smaller molecules. These smaller molecules eventually vaporize and exit from the reactor. These vapors can be burned directly to produce power or condensed into an oily type liquid, generally used as a fuel. Some molecules are too small to condense. They 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 solid ashes. When performed properly, the tire pyrolysis process is a clean operation and produces little emissions or waste; however, concerns about air pollution due to incomplete combustion as is the case with tire fires has been documented.[22]

The properties of the gas, liquid, and solid output are determined by the type of feed-stock used and the process conditions. For instance whole tires contain fibers and steel. Shredded tires have most of the steel and sometimes most of the fiber removed. Processes can be either batch or continuous. The energy required to drive the decomposition of the rubber include using directly fired fuel (like a gas oven), electrical induction (like an electrically heated oven) or by microwaves (like a microwave oven). Sometimes a catalyst is used to accelerate the decomposition. The choice of feed-stock and process can affect the value of the finished products.

The historical issue of tire pyrolysis has been the solid mineral stream, which accounts for about 40% of the output. The steel can be removed from the solid stream with magnets for recycling. The remaining solid material, often referred to as "char", has had little or no value other than possibly as a low grade carbon fuel. Char is the destroyed remains of the original carbon black used to reinforce and provide abrasion resistance to the tire. The solid stream also includes the minerals used in rubber manufacturing. This high volume component of tire pyrolysis is a major impediment, although this theme continues to be a source of innovation.

Cryogenic recycling

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NASA Stennis Space Center worked on cryogenic recycling of tires, in .

Tires can be frozen using cryogens, or super-cold fluids, then broken down and made into a material called "crumb," which can be used in asphalt road beds, agricultural hoses, and truck bed liners.

Repurposing

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Three boys are on a tire swing Car tires as seats in Thailand Tire art Tires recycled into water tanks on roof. Cherchen, Xinjiang.

Aside from recycling old tires, the old tire can be put to a new use.

Old tires are sometimes converted into a swing for play. The innovative use allows for an easy way to find a purpose for an existing old tire not suitable for road use.[23]

Used tires are also employed as exercise equipment for athletic programs such as American football.[24] One classic conditioning drill that hones players' speed and agility is the "Tire Run" where tires are laid out side by side, with each tire on the left a few inches ahead of the tire on the right in a zigzag pattern. Athletes then run through the tire pattern by stepping in the center of each tire. The drill forces athletes to lift their feet above the ground higher than normal to avoid tripping.[25] Other athletic uses include tire flipping (tractor or large truck tires typically used) or for upper cardio conditioning by hitting a tire repetitively with a sledge hammer.[26]

Re-purposed tires can also be harnessed as an affordable alternative building material used in the framework of rammed Earth thermal mass dwellings.[27] This is beneficial across scales of production such as individually sustainable housing.[28]

Rows of stacks of tires are often used as barriers in motor racing circuits as a method of dissipating kinetic energy over a longer period of time during a crash, comparatively to striking a less malleable material such as a concrete or steel wall.

Many cattle farmers re-purpose old tractor tires as water troughs for their cattle by placing them over natural springs or by piping stream water into them. These tires contain the water and allow it to pool for the cattle without any additional interaction from the farmer. Most farmers also include a drainage pipe near the top or in the center of the tire so excess water can drain off to prevent overflow and erosion around the outside of the tire where the cattle would be.[29]

Repurposing as an elastic base for multipurpurposes uses, such as holding advertisement boards, static or swinging. This is an application still under development and at a prototype stage.[30]

Tire repurposed as an elastic base uses. Prototype Nr.2, Variant Nr.1: Mid-body axle swing sign. Lisbon, Portugal.

Rubber shingle roofs

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Rubber shingle roofs are typically made from 95% recycled material from a variety of sources including recycled tires. They last twice as long as asphalt shingles but are about twice the price as asphalt. They are more quiet than most roofs, hail resistant, and a high wind rating if there is a tongue and groove fitting at the front edge of the rubber shingle design.[31][32]

Environmental concerns

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Due to their heavy metal and other pollutant content, tires pose a risk for the leaching of toxins into the groundwater when placed in wet soils. Research has shown that very little leaching occurs when shredded tires are used as light fill material; however, limitations have been put on use of this material; each site should be individually assessed determining if this product is appropriate for given conditions.[9]

For both above and below water table applications, the preponderance of evidence shows that TDA (tire derived aggregate, or shredded tires) will not cause primary drinking water standards to be exceeded for metals. Moreover, TDA is unlikely to increase levels of metals with primary drinking water standards above naturally occurring background levels.[33]

Continuous Pyrolysis Plant

Industry Status

• Equipment blockage and frequent interruptions make it difficult to achieve scale profitability.
• High energy consumption and low thermal energy utilization rate lead to high operating costs.
• Difficult to meet emission standards, facing compliance difficulties and fine risks.
• High work intensity and frequent manual intervention lead to high labor costs.
• The quality of oil & carbon black varies, affecting sales prices.

Why Upgrade BLL-30

It recycles 6,000 tons plastic, 10,000 tons tyres and 12,000 tons oil sludge annually, contributing to both sustainable development goals and stable profitability.

• 30 days of continuous non-blocking operation, no more downtime
• Energy consumption reduced by 55%, significantly reducing fuel costs
• Exhaust emissions reduced by 50%, meeting EU emission standards
• Manual intervention reduced by 80%, only 2 operators required
• ±10℃ precise temperature control, high quality oil & carbon black acquisition

3 Technical Breakthroughs of BLL-30 Continuous Pyrolysis Plant

Oil Gas Anti-polymerization Condensation Technology

30 days continuous running

This technology uses spray direct mixing condensation to rapidly reduce the temperature of oil gas. It prevents the secondary polymerization of olefin compounds, which can clog the oil gas pipelines.

Hot Flue Gas Recirculation + Air Preheating Technology

↓ 55% fuel consumption & ↓ 50% emission

Hot Flue Gas Recirculation: About 80% of flue gas is redirected to the combustion zone and mixed with – °C hot air to heat the reactor.

Air Preheating Technology: The remaining 20% flows to a waste heat recovery unit to preheat combustion air.

Reactor Automatic Temperature Control Technology

±10℃ Precise Temperature Control

This technology adjusts fuel mixing ratios in real time. It reduces 80% labor cost and operation complexity of pyrolysis plant. It ensures optimal pyrolysis conditions, boosting oil yield and carbon black quality.

Convert Plastic/Tyre/Oil Sludge to Value – BLL-30 Continuous Pyrolysis Plant

With large capacity and stability, fully automatic pyrolysis plant is ideal for industrial-scale plastic & tire recycling. The following are specific recyclable raw materials and pyrolysis products:

Acceptable plastics types: PP, PE, PS, and others without chlorine and oxygen (Note: PET/PVC can not be pyrolyzed)

Pyrolysis products: Pyrolysis oil, industrial residue (including a small amount of carbon black), syngas

Acceptable tyres types: Passenger tires, commercial tires, OTR tires, etc.

Pyrolysis products: Pyrolysis oil, carbon black, steel wire, syngas

Acceptable oil sludge types: Landing oil sludge

Pyrolysis products: Pyrolysis oil, industrial residue, syngas

Diverse Applications of Pyrolysis Products

Pyrolysis oil

Pyrolysis oil can be used as fuel in kilns, furnaces, and boilers for factories with high energy consumption.

Pyrolysis oil can be processed into non-standard diesel, which can be used in heavy oil generators and heavy machinery engines.

Pyrolysis oil can also be processed into naphtha, which is used in plastic manufacturing, as a solvent, and as a gasoline blending component.

rCB

Carbon black can be directly used in the production of cement, asphalt, inks, coatings, and other industrial materials.

The rCB (Recovered Carbon Black), kind of eco-friendly material is a key ingredient in the manufacture of eco-friendly tires.

Parameter of BLL-30 Continuous Pyrolysis Equipment

ModelBLL-30 ManufacturerBESTON Time to Market Motor BrandChinese brand Suitable Raw MaterialsWaste plastics; Tires; Oil sludge Input Capacity (Max.)Waste plastic pellets: 0.8-1.05t/h
Rubber powder: 1.25-1.5t/h
Oil sludge:1.8-2.3t/h Working MethodFully Continuous Final Oil QualityPyrolysis oil
Pyrolysis oil with wax or naphtha Reactor Material304/310S Stainless steel Reactor Life Span (Years)5-8 Guarantee (Months)12 Delivery Time (Calendar Days)60-90 Land Space Required (L*W*H*m)70*20*10 Packing20*6*3m in bulk+13*40HQ Installation Period (Calendar Days)60-90

Technological Highlights of BLL-30 Continuous Pyrolysis Plant

Double Anti-Coking Protection

• Coking Intervention: Hot air heating ensures uniform heat distribution in the reactor, preventing uneven heating and coking.
• Mechanical De-coking: The decoking chain cleans the inner wall of the pyrolysis reactor directly by friction, preventing coking.

Sealing Protection

• Main Furnace Sealing: Combined high-temperature flexible dynamic sealing technology greatly enhances sealing performance of reactor of fully continuous pyrolysis plant.
• Discharge Sealing: The slag tank is equipped with a material seal to prevent leakage of high-temperature oil and gas during continuous slag discharge.

Precise & Safe Feeding

• “Gram” Level Weighing: Electronic weighing system not only control the feed amount to the “gram” level but also allow real-time monitoring and phase statistics.
• Oxygen-Deficient Protection: Nitrogen generator over 95% purity replaces the air in the sealed silo, maintaining an oxygen-deficient environment inside the reactor.

EU Emission Standards

• Chemical Treatment: Exhaust gas flows into an SCR denitration tower to eliminate NOₓ. Then it proceeds to a desulfurization tower to eliminate sulfur compounds.
• Physical Treatment: Exhaust gas passes through electrostatic precipitator to remove large particulates. Finally, it enters activated carbon device to adsorb fine particulates.

Benchmark Project of Pyrolysis Plant

In Morocco In North Africa In the Netherlands

Plastic Pyrolysis Project in Morocco
– Fuel Cost Reduction

Project Goals

• Obtain pyrolysis oil: Convert waste plastics into fuel oil;
• Cut energy costs: Power the factory with the oil to cut energy costs;
• Stable operation: Ensure stable operation for long-term gains.

Project Status

Development Started | Installation Completed | Operating

Project Outcomes

• High oil yield: Continuously convert plastic into fuel oil, the oil yield achieves approximately 65%.
• Reduce production costs: Use the obtained pyrolysis oil instead of diesel, greatly reducing production costs.

Pyrolysis Project in North Africa
– Solves Oil Sludge Treatment Challenge

Project Goals

• Project Compliance: Meet AU and local emission standards through sludge pyrolysis process. Obtain project EIA certification.
• Cost Reduction: Self-built treatment center improves oil sludge treatment capacity, significantly reducing costs.

Project Status

Development Started | Installation Completed | Operating

Project Outcomes

• Emissions Meet Standards: The treated oil sludge fully meets AU and local environmental protection standards.
• Improved Processing Capacity: After the equipment is put into operation, large-scale processing capacity is stably guaranteed.
• ROI Improvement: Reduce external processing expenses, obtain sales revenue of pyrolysis products, and improve ROI.

Pyrolysis Project in the Netherlands
– Build a Greener Plastics Value Chain

Project Goals

• Achieve large-scale plastic recycling and promote EU circular economy.
• Meet stringent NOx emission standards.
• Solve the risk of wax oil clogging machine in pyrolysis

Project Status

Development Started | Installation Completed | Operating

Project Outcomes

• Equipment is operating smoothly with no blockages, minimal downtime.
• Annually recycle 24,000 tons of plastic waste, and reduce 93,000 tons of CO₂ emissions.
• Supply pyrolysis oil for new plastic production, enabling a true circular economy.

Workflow of BLL-30 Continuous Pyrolysis Machine

Beston Group provides an on-site demonstration video to help you better understand the components and operational process of the BLL-30.

01 Feeding

• The first screw feeder conveys raw materials in a silo to the weighing machine for precise weighing.
• The second screw feeder then delivers the accurately quantitative material into the pyrolysis reactor.

02 Pyrolysis

• The raw materials enter the reactor of continuous plastic pyrolysis plant. Then, under the push of guide plate, the raw materials are fully heated from the front to the back.
• When the temperature reaches 180 degrees Celsius, gas oil begins to generate. A significant amount of gas oil appears at temperatures between 280-350 degrees Celsius.

03 Catalytic(only for plastic)

After the oil gas enter the catalytic tower, it reacts with the catalyst. This step mitigates issues related to wax deposition and liquefaction. Simultaneously, it contributes to enhancing the quality of the plastic pyrolysis oil.

04 Condensation

• The oil gas enters the manifold of continuous pyrolysis plant, and heavy particles of the oil gas will be liquefied and dropped into the heavy oil tank.
• The light oil gas will be liquefied into fuel oil by the condenser and reserved in the fuel oil tank.

05 Gas Recovery & Utilization

• Non-condensable gas is directed to the buffer tank, water-gas separator and multiple water seals to stabilize the gas pressure.
• The purified combustible gas is recovered and returned to the combustion chamber for combustion to produce hot air.
• Part of high-temperature flue gas is directed to the combustion chamber. It mixes with the hot air and heats the reactor.
• The remaining flue gas exchanges heat with the air in the air-to-air heat exchanger. The heated air provides oxygen to support closed combustion.

06 Discharge

• The residue is transported to the water-cooled slag box through the spiral slag discharger at the tail of the continuous waste plastic pyrolysis plant reactor.
• Soild residue in storage tank enters multiple water-cooled slag dischargers for cooling.
• Sampler is deployed at the tail of the reactor. Operators can periodically sample the slag to monitor its condition.

07 Exhaust Gas Treatment

Exhaust gas is cooled, desulfurized, denitrified, electrostatically precipitated, and activated carbon precipitated. The chimney discharges exhaust gas that meets EU emission standards.

Stay Ahead of Policy Trends: Choose Continuous Pyrolysis Plant First

As global environmental regulations tighten, governments worldwide are driving industries toward greener, more efficient, and sustainable development. Continuous pyrolysis equipment stands out as the smart choice, especially when considering the following policy trends:

Government Bans

Many countries are phasing out traditional batch systems due to their pollution and safety risks. For example, in , China’s State Council mandated the complete phase-out of non-compliant fixed-bed batch gasifiers. Continuous systems, featuring closed-loop operation and fully automated control, are cleaner, safer, and more likely to meet future regulatory standards.

Policy Incentives

Governments offer subsidies, tax breaks, and green financing for advanced, low-emission equipment. Continuous pyrolysis machine qualifies for such support due to their energy efficiency and better emission control, which helps investors reduce costs and attract ESG-driven investment.

Easier Environmental Approval

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Safety Assessments are easier to pass with continuous systems. Their steady-state operation and reliable emission control simplify compliance, speeding up the permit process and reducing project delays.

Contributions of BLL-30 Continuous Pyrolysis Equipment to Industries

As global environmental regulations tighten, governments worldwide are driving industries toward greener, more efficient, and sustainable development. Continuous pyrolysis equipment stands out as the smart choice, especially when considering the following policy trends:

Waste Management Recycling Industry

These industries need to manage high volumes of waste plastic or waste tires. By adopting continuous pyrolysis technology, they can:

• Efficient treatment: Large amount of plastics/tyres can be processed by BLL-30 continuous pyrolysis machine. One day, it can process 35 tons tires or 25 tons plastics.
• Qualified carbon black output: Automatic temperature control ensures toluene permeability meets standards, turning carbon black into valuable end product.

Oil and Gas Industry

Faced with substantial volumes of oil sludge, this industry benefits from continuous pyrolysis system in several key ways:

• Waste reduction & harmless：BLL-30 can recycle oil components of waste generated in the industry, reducing waste volume and avoiding environmental risks.
• Enhance industry influence: Investing in cutting-edge recycling technology demonstrates ESG leadership and wins recognition from society and government.

Manufacturing Industries with High Fuel Oil Demand

Heavy industries such as cement, metallurgy, and chemicals are seeking cost-effective and cleaner energy alternatives. Continuous pyrolysis plant offers:

• Energy independence: Convert internal waste or sourced materials into fuel, reducing reliance on external suppliers and cutting fuel expenses.
• Low-cost environmental compliance: EU industries face strict emission standards. Flue gas recirculation and air preheating help meet these requirements while keeping compliance costs down.

Launch Continuous Pyrolysis Project with Beston Group

Invest in a continuous pyrolysis plant and lead the way in cutting-edge solid waste recycling. Designed for profitability, sustainability and industrial-scale operation, it’s the smart choice for large-scale recycling projects. Share your needs, we will provide you with a customized solution. Follow us on Linkedin to stay up with latest innovations.

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