News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

Engineers and scientists all over the world are challenged by the waste problem on horizon. An engineer who claims to have a solution is Michael Vainer, inventor and founder of Polymeric Powders Company. According to the magazine, he has been trying to develop solutions for tire waste for more than a decade and a half. New rubber devulcanization technology Michael Vainer is an engineer looking at how to solve end-of-life tire problem. While Vainer’s company website reveals few details, he is known to have conducted a lot of research and holding many patents. Vainer company Polymeric Powders’ process takes in raw materials from tire shredders, applies thermal processing followed by a cracking process, then combines the resulting powders with common plastics. The resulting composite material is provided as masterbatch pellets for injection molding or extrusion, or as filament for 3D printing.

Episode 22 of the Tyre Recycling Podcast features the team of ECO Green Equipment – Brad Swenson and Andres Salazar. The two founders sat down with Ewan Scott to discuss their company's work and role in tyre recycling in multiple areas.

According to recent media release, Rice University lab’s optimized flash process could reduce carbon emissions, which could be be where the rubber truly hits the road. Rice University scientists have optimized a process to convert waste from end-of-life rubber and tires into graphene that can, in turn, be used to strengthen concrete. The environmental benefits of adding graphene to concrete are clear, chemist James Tour says. “Concrete is the most-produced material in the world, and simply making it produces as much as 9% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions,” Tour said. “If we can use less concrete in our roads, buildings and bridges, we can eliminate some of the emissions at the very start.”

Hukoomi, Qatar’s e-Government portal, reports that as part of initiatives by the Public Works Authority of Qatar (Ashghal) to use recycled materials in its projects, Ashghal Research and Development Center run by the Quality and Safety Department has prepared the Ashghal Recycling Manual, the first of its kind in Qatar and the region. This manual is the result of three years of research, expertise, field tests and pilot projects implemented using recycled materials, included recycled end-of-life tire rubber. The manual is considered a technical reference for engineers, consultants and contractors working in Ashghal projects, as well as for manufacturers and investors in the field of recycling. It also provides technical support for projects in achieving Ashghal’s recycling strategy.

Qatar’s daily newspaper The Peninsula reports that as the Ministry of Municipality and Environment of Qatar (MME) is set to organize the 1st International Waste Management Conference, Qatar is making steady progress in recycling waste, including end-of-life tires, to achieve its environment protection goals. According to the newspaper, in 2020 alone, 434,000 tons of construction materials were produced by recycling construction waste. According to information shared by the MME on its official social media accounts, 482,402 tires were also processed in 2020.

Tarmac – one of the leading and pioneering firms working with the rubberized asphalt in the United Kingdom – has become the first company in the UK to secure recognized industry approval for its innovative rubber modified asphalt incorporating recycled end of life car tires for use on the strategic road network. Following a series of successful trials over a number of years, the leading sustainable construction solutions company’s ULTIPAVE R, is the first thin surfacing system of its kind to receive BBA HAPAS Clause 942 approval.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) – a regulatory body responsible for end-of-life tire management – announced this April that Mercedes-Benz Australia has become newest contributor to TSA in a commitment to the responsible disposal of end-of-life tyres. Mercedes-Benz Australia has announced it will contribute a levy to Tyre Stewardship Australia based on all new vehicles sold in Australia. In addition, Mercedes-Benz Retailers across the country will be able to become accredited participants with the TSA, agreeing to work with accredited recyclers and collectors of end-of-life tyres. Claire Painter, Corporate Communications Manager, said Mercedes-Benz Australia was proud to demonstrate its commitment towards the sustainable management of end-of-life tyres in an initiative that took effect from January 1, 2021.

On April 1, a global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) announced that it has agreed to sell Liberty Tire Recycling (Liberty) to ECP, an investor with a decades-long reputation in the environmental and sustainable solutions sector. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021. Liberty Tire Recycling is a premier provider of tire recycling services in North America. With a network of more than 25 processing plants and flexible collection service offerings nationwide, the Company saves more than 190 million tires per year from the waste stream, recycling approximately three billion pounds of rubber for innovative, sustainable materials and products.

Eagle International – a renowned manufacturer of tire cutting and tire recycling equipment – has been working with various tire recyclers in the U.S. and Canada to improve the way tires are reduced and recycled. The Nebraska-based manufacturer makes tire shears, derimmers, bead removers, and sidewall cutters to handle small ATV tires up to giant OTR tires. Eagle International has developed a new machine in their portable OTR downsizing equipment line: The Punch Cutter III.