News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Maris Corp. – an Italian innovator in the field of end-of-life tire rubber devulcanization – reports that the use of devulcanized rubber produced with its patented process and mixed with virgin rubber allows reducing the environmental impact of CO₂ and the consumption of fossil resources. Recently, Maris team – Bruno Muscato and Marco Girotto – collaborating with colleagues from the University of Turin published an article on this matter in Science Direct's Journal of Cleaner Production. The article is headlined as “Environmental assessment of rubber recycling through an innovative thermo-mechanical devulcanization process using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder.”

This summer, the company successfully exhibited at IFAT 2022. In addition to many international customers, qualified contacts were made with tire recyclers and start-up companies, which are pushing into the market, reinforced also by the constantly evolving pyrolysis process. PRECIMECA says it fulfills peculiar tire recyclers' requirements with shredders that can rotate at different speeds, providing a clean cut due to specific cutting devices with 14 mobile and removable steel blades, offering the highest shelf life of knives, and lowest operating and maintenance cost in the market. The company offers fully integrated in-house manufacturing (design, welding, assembly, etc.), professional after-sales support, customer-oriented solutions and optimization of processes by the team with over 50 years of experience of collaboration with its customers.

Pyrum Innovations AG (Pyrum), a pioneer in the sustainable recycling of end-of-life-tyres (ELT) based on its patented pyrolysis technology, establishes the first joint venture to build and operate a pyrolysis plant in Bavaria, Germany. Under the company name REVALIT GmbH, a recycling plant with a capacity of 20,000 tons of used tyres is to be operated in the port of Straubing near the Danube from 2024. The planned location is characterized by excellent connections to the road network and also offers the possibility of transporting the goods to and from the site by rail and ship. Straubing thus represents an ideal location for the implementation of the environmentally oriented business approach. Besides Pyrum, the shareholders of REVALIT GmbH will be the Munich-based companies MCapital GmbH, TEXTOR GmbH and Auer Holding GmbH, each with 25%. The contract for the start of the development activities and the start of the work for the required approval documents was concluded today. Preliminary discussions with the authorities have already taken place. The signing of a reservation agreement with the landowner will take place immediately after the entry of the company in the commercial register. Initial financing discussions with banks are currently underway.

Did you know that the energy saved by retreaded truck tires could power 482 houses for a day? This thesis has been advocated by the Spanish TNU – the management company for extended responsibility system for end-of-life tires. Retreading is the process of adding new tread to an old tire in order to extend its useful life. Savings in oil, water, energy, and CO2 emissions into the environment are only a few of the ecological and financial benefits of this method. A new truck tire requires 141 liters of oil, 15,680 liters of water, and 338 kilograms of CO₂ to produce. However, everything is greatly decreased while making a new tire, allowing for savings of 234 kg of CO₂ emissions, 8,209 liters of water, and 98 liters of oil.

On 7 July, Newcastle University and Wastefront announced their partnership that will focus on the characterisation and enhancement of Wastefront’s recovered carbon black (rCB). As one of the UK’s top universities and a world leader in sustainability, Newcastle University’s partnership with Wastefront will see cutting-edge industry innovation emerge from research conceived in the North of England - ensuring the region is at the forefront of progressing circularity across Europe.

On July 15, 2022 Robert Weibold, a tire recycling and pyrolysis consultant from Vienna, Austria, speaks at the National Policy Conference on Circular Economy in Tyre and Rubber Recycling Industry in India. If you would like to connect with Robert Weibold and Weibold team, discuss business opportunities or request information on consulting services, please send your inquiry at sales@weibold.com.

Italian bicycle tyres manufacturer Vittoria, known for its graphene-enhanced bicycle tires, and Haydale, the global advanced materials group, have started collaborating for innovation and supply of graphene. Vittoria has since 2015 pioneered the application of graphene in the rubber of bicycle tyres. The nanomaterial has proven to create substantial improvements in grip, rolling resistance, puncture resistance and durability. As a result, Vittoria’s tyres are the preferred choice of professionals and cycling enthusiasts around the world. More info can be found here.

The Tire Industry Association (TIA) is an international non-profit association representing all segments of the tire industry, including those that manufacture, repair, recycle, sell, service or use new or retreaded tires, and also those suppliers or individuals who furnish equipment, material or services to the industry. The mission of TIA is to promote tire safety through training and education, to act as the principal advocate in government affairs and to enhance the image and professionalism of the industry so that our member businesses may be more successful. TIA has more than 13,000 members from all 50 states and around the globe.

The European Tire and Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA) reports that the rapid and exciting evolution of mobility is raising fundamental questions regarding fair and equal access to in-vehicle data. Future mobility brings opportunities for road safety, sustainability and society at-large. As a key contributor to the automotive industry and value chain, an innovation-driven tire industry will play a crucial role in driving advancements.