News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

This post is a summary of numerous researches and articles published by European and American research institutions. Dozens of independent researches carried out in Europe and U.S. throughout the past decade inferred that tire-derived rubber infill in the artificial turf poses no threat to human health. Researchers assert unanimously that exposure of athletes’ skin to crumb rubber infill on stadiums and playgrounds yields no elevated risk of cancer. As the issue has been assuming additional importance, it achieved the level of the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) which, together with the European Committee of Standardization, carried out comprehensive researches about crumb rubber exposure on human health.

The Intellectual Property Authority of the European Union (EUIPO) recently approved a trademark EnviroCB which belongs to the company Scandinavian Enviro Systems. Enviro is the first company in the world which commenced supplying recycled carbon black (rCB) to the premium segment of automotive industry. Now that the trademark has been registered, Enviro has a chance to deliver rCB to other markets and industries to substitute virgin carbon black.

On the day when the incident happened, the seventeen-year-old employee standing on the trailer saw that a long piece of rubber stuck in the out-feed. Therefore, he signaled the controller to reverse the shredder. Feeding the piece of rubber back into the shredder with his right hand, he held the side of the out-feed with the left hand. Unfortunately, rubber piece was pulled into the shredder swiftly and worker’s right hand was pulled with it. All fingers of his right hand we amputated by the shredder whereas his right thumb proved unsalvageable after a surgery which aimed to reattach it.

Good news came from the answer to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) from the Portuguese team members of the CEN/TC 366, department responsible for the standardization of recycled materials obtained from end-of-life tires (ELT) of European Committee of Standardization, on how crumb rubber affects human health.

Recently, a joint venture was formed by Pyrolyx AG from Munich, Germany and Reklaim, Inc. based in Seattle, USA. New JV is going to focus at the tire-derived carbon black recovery and will operate in North America. German Pyrolyx AG owns 81% of Pyrolyx USA, Inc. At new facilities throughout North America, the JV will use manufacturing process from the German parent company. Moreover, Pyrolyx USA will be run by German top management. Location of facilities and the volume of investment are not disclosed yet. The company will recover carbon black (rCB) from end-of-life tires and rubber. Reportedly, the company is going to suggest a sustainable and cost-effective substitute to original carbon black which will be well-suited for numerous rubber and plastics applications, including even tire compounders. Three days later from the JV announcement, European Rubber Journal reported that Thorsten Gohlke, The chairman of Pyrolyx AG‘s supervisory board, was going to step down at the next annual general meeting of the company for personal reasons. The date for the next annual general meeting has not yet been given, but the last meeting was held in August 2016.

After a long time of demands for a comprehensive forensic audit by the organization which oversees recycling in Ontario and a threat of a court order, the stewardship invited Ernst & Young for an audit. The auditors will thoroughly investigate the possible fraud in the supply chain.

The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) claims that the growth was driven by the recovery in crude oil prices, mid-term supply concerns, new expectations of a faster-paced global economic recovery led by the U.S. All these factors improve outlook for natural rubber demand. According to a statement from ANRPC the crude oil price recovery impact was caused by OPEC’s deal on the 30th of November 2016, which stipulates cut in output by 1.2 million barrels per day during the 1st half of 2017.

Oman Environmental Services Holding Company (Be’ah) is going to call for proposals to recycle massive accumulations of end-of-life tires (ELT) stockpiled in the sultanate. Be’ah is owned by government and its main task is to manage solid waste in the country. Oman Daily Observer says that every year sultanate generates some 45,000 tons of scrap tires and estimates show that this number is going to grow in line with urbanization and subsequent population growth.

“The issue is not paying fees, it’s the principle behind it [and] we’ve had enough.” The tire dump has been at the center of dispute for several years. Moreover, the tire yard bears a vast potential for an enormous fire. Businesses are convinced that government departments should support them in their struggle to clean up the place and make it safe. UTRC spent some $2 million at the site and made a headway in the stand-off with the government. In contrast, Victorian authorities claim UTRC shouldn’t have interfered and disregarded regulations and laws in relation to businesses.