News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

On July 31, 2021, an online newspaper Arab Times Online reported that since November 2020, the Environment Public Authority (EPA) in Kuwait has made extensive efforts to end the more than 30-year-old crisis of indiscriminately storing old vehicles tires in the desert of Kuwait, particularly in the Jahra governorate, which has contributed to wasting public money over the past years, according to Al-Qabas Daily. The more than 52 million tires is the most prominent obstacle to a huge housing project which the state seeks to implement in the suburb of southern Saad Al- Abdullah. Only eight months after the EPA received alternative land in Salmi to transfer these tires, near the tire recycling factories, the EPA was able, according to an official in the authority, to remove 95% of the tires, which were considered a major obstacle to starting the housing project.

British police in West Mercia has started the implementation of a new initiative aimed at illegally dumped tires. This move comes amid an increase of incidents of unsanctioned dumping during lockdown. Over the past 12 months, over 1,000 scrap tires were left as waste on land owned by Bradford Estates.

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This article should give an overview over the recent development trends regarding the options for an upgrade of the tire-derived oil (TDO) with chemical and physical techniques. In two previous articles we have already dealt with the production of limonene and highlighted the advantages of fractional distillation of TDO. Introduction Refiners around the world are looking for alternatives to producing fuels from petrochemicals only. This is due to expected future declines in crude oil reserves combined with significant fuel demand growth expectations throughout the world and increasing environmental awareness among the population.

Black Bear Carbon (“BBC”), the Dutch technology provider for recycling end-of-life tire rubber into recovered Carbon Black (rCB) and renewable petrochemicals, has announced that is had successfully completed a first closing of €7.5M , this is the first step in a fundraising campaign of €78M for its new BBC flagship plant at Chemelot Industrial Park, the Netherlands. The investment round was led by Capricorn Partners from the Capricorn Sustainable Chemistry Fund, with support from Invest-NL, joined by current investors; Brightlands Venture Partners, Siam Cement Chemicals and others.

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has welcomed and lauded a European Commission’s decision to lower the concentration limit of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in synthetic turf infill materials. The news came from the European Rubber Journal (ERJ) on July 26. The magazine writes that on July 20, the European Commission lowered the limit of PAHs in granules and mulches used as infill materials for synthetic turf or playgrounds from the current 100mg/kg to 20mg/kg.

Eagle International has been known in the tire recycling world for decades as the foremost authority on hydraulic tire sheers and off-the-road (OTR) tire downsizing. Now, Eagle announces their first machine capable of producing rubber mulch. The Eagle Edge 360 is designed to remove high-quality mulch from the treads and sidewalls of OTR tires ranging in sizes from 33-inch through 63-inch rim size. Eagle has developed a unique design that features rasp heads in three locations at varying angles. Multiple rasp heads increase the surface area that can be claimed as mulch and speeds up cycle time. In addition, operators can shred rubber mulch from the tread and sidewall simultaneously.

TSA reports that tire giant Hankook is the latest manufacturer to partner with Tyre Stewardship Australia in a commitment to the responsible disposal of end-of-life tires. The Hankook Tire & Technology Group announced in the end of July it is the newest contributor to the National Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme, taking the total number of importers to nine. Hankook Managing Director Ted Choi said the decision to sign up to the Scheme was recognition of the work of TSA and its achievements. “By cultivating win-win relationships like this one with Tyre Stewardship Australia, Hankook shows it too is a leader in preserving and protecting the environment for the next generation – a responsibility we take seriously,” Mr Choi explained.

Climate change, Covid-19 pandemic and the fight for shipping containers are some of the obstacles that rubber producers face these days. The global rubber market has recently witnessed numerous supply chain disruptions, and now the international economy is challenged by a rubber deficiency, according to CNBC report. The broadcaster spoke to Ohio State University professor Katrina Cornish, who says that the global market is on the verge of ‘a rubber apocalypse’. Rubber is a crucial component used in the making of car tires, and supply chain disruptions can seriously impact the tire recycling industry. According to some forecast quoted by CNBC, the demand for natural rubber will only be increasing, and the NR market could be estimated at nearly $68.5 billion by 2026. And people’s dependence on car tires will keep on boosting the demand for rubber.