Chemical and Mechanical Recycling for Tire Sustainability
35 patents in this list
Updated:
Tire sustainability is a pressing issue, with millions of tires discarded each year, posing environmental challenges. Chemical and mechanical recycling offer pathways to reclaim valuable materials from these waste tires. The process involves breaking down tires to recover oils, carbon black, and metals, which can be reused in various industries, reducing the need for virgin materials.
Professionals in the field face challenges such as efficiently separating components, managing energy consumption, and ensuring high-quality output. The complexity of tire composition and the need for precise control in recycling processes add layers of difficulty. Additionally, maintaining environmental safety and cost-effectiveness remains a significant concern.
This page explores a range of solutions from recent patents and research, highlighting systems for thermal cracking, pyrolysis, and mechanical processing. These approaches enhance material recovery, improve energy efficiency, and ensure environmental compliance, offering practical strategies for advancing tire recycling efforts.
1. Continuous Thermal Cracking System with Preheating Tank and Sealed Reactor for Whole Tires
Qingdao Ikeda Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd., QINGDAO YIKESIDA INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO LTD, 2023
A continuous thermal cracking system and method for whole tires of waste tires that allows recycling of whole tires without the need for crushing them into blocks first. The system uses a preheating tank, thermal cracking reactor, and condensing system connected in a ring. The preheating tank has front and rear sections filled with water and oil respectively to heat the tires. The reactor has a sealing screw, front bin, internal kettle, and hot air heater. The condensing system separates heavy and light oil. The sealed preheating and reactor sections prevent volatile oil escape. The hot air heater preheats the kettle. This allows fully cracking the whole tires without crushing.
2. Two-Stage Tire Cracking System with Preheating, Separation, and Adjustable Spiral Feeder
ECON TECH CO LTD, 2021
A waste tire cracking system for efficiently and cleanly recycling end-of-life tires into useful products like carbon black and steel. The system uses a two-stage cracking furnace setup with preheating, separation, and condensation steps to maximize resource recovery. The first furnace cracks the tires to release the carbon black and steel. The second furnace further cracks the carbon black to increase yield. The condensers collect the water vapor and liquid condensates from the gases. The system also uses a spiral feeder to introduce the tires into the furnaces. This allows adjusting the feeding height based on tire composition. The system also has filters and exhaust ports to control emissions.
3. Closed Steel Belt Furnace for Continuous Non-Catalytic Thermal Cracking of Waste Tires Under Positive Pressure
CHINA IRON & STEEL RES INSTITUTE GROUP, CHINA IRON & STEEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE GROUP, CISRI SUNWARD TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2021
A continuous, safe, and efficient method for treating and recycling waste tires using a closed steel belt furnace. The method involves non-catalytic thermal cracking of waste tire pieces in a continuous closed steel belt heating furnace under positive pressure. This allows continuous pyrolysis of tires at safe conditions, replacing intermittent small-batch production. The positive pressure prevents explosions and allows higher throughput and efficiency compared to open pyrolysis.
4. Mechanical and Thermal Processing System for Producing High-Purity, High-Activity Carbon from Recycled Tire Material
Teplytsky Alexander, TEPLITSKY ALEXANDER, Teplytsky, Alexander, 2021
Recycling worn tires and rubber products to obtain carbon-containing materials with improved properties for use in tire manufacturing. The recycling method involves mechanically crushing the tires, pyrolyzing them to form gases and solid residue, removing impurities, grinding the residue, classifying it into small and large fragments, further grinding the large fragments, and packaging the small fragments for use as filler in tires. The key steps are crushing tires before pyrolysis to remove metal beadlings, using a caulking inhibitor during pyrolysis, and finely grinding the residue to make carbon with low impurities and high surface activity suitable for tire rubber.
5. Tire Fragment Feeding and Carbon Black Separation System with Integrated Thermal Decomposition Reactor
JIANGYIN RONGXING MECH INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING CO LTD, JIANGYIN RONGXING MECHANICAL INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING CO LTD, 2020
Waste tire thermal decomposition system for recovering value from junked tires. It has a feeding mechanism to input tire fragments, a reactor for thermally decomposing the tires, a carbon black removing device, and a carbon black collecting device. The feeding mechanism uses hoppers, conveyors, and elevators to transport the tire fragments to the reactor. The carbon black removing device has a filtering device to separate the carbon black from the gases generated during decomposition. This allows capturing the carbon black as a valuable product. The system also features optimized feeding, filtering, and gas handling components like spiral baffles, scrapers, and venting to improve efficiency.
6. Waste Tire Pyrolysis System with Preheating, Spiral Squeezing, Thermal Cracking, Refining, Cyclone Separation, Condensing Collection, and Compression Stages
YUNNAN TIANYUAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TECH CO LTD, YUNNAN TIANYUAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2019
A waste tire thermal splitting system that extracts useful products like rubber powder, oil, and gas from waste tires through pyrolysis. The system has stages like preheating, spiral squeezing, thermal cracking, refining, cyclone separation, condensing collection, and compression. It aims to efficiently process waste tires into reusable materials instead of burning or landfilling them, while avoiding pollution by capturing and purifying the gases. The system converts tires into products like rubber powder, oil, and gas through pyrolysis. It preheats the tires, squeezes them to extract oil, cracks them thermally to split into products, refines the rubber, separates solids and gases, condenses the gases, and compresses the rubber. This captures all the products and prevents pollution compared to direct burning or landfilling.
7. Reactor System with Dual-Shell Configuration and Perforated Inner Tube for Tire Pyrolysis
Fujian Aolin Magnesium Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., 2019
A process for efficiently converting waste tires into useful products through pyrolysis. The process involves heating the tire crumbs to temperatures around 120°C in a specialized reactor. The reactor has a unique design with an inner tube and outer shell that contain the tire crumbs. The inner tube has small holes to break down the tire material into small pieces during pyrolysis. This produces a high yield of small, useful products from the tire rather than large chunks. The pyrolysis conditions are optimized for this reactor design to maximize the conversion of the tire into small fragments. The process also involves heating the reactor to temperature gradually to avoid damaging the reactor. This enables efficient and controlled pyrolysis of tires into useful products.
8. Microwave Pyrolysis Reactor for End-of-Life Tire Decomposition
COOPERATIVA AUTOTRASPORTATORI FIORENTINI CAF -SOCIETA COOPERATIVA A RL, 2012
Recycling end-of-life tires using microwave pyrolysis to produce valuable products like oils, gases, and carbon. The process involves heating the tires in a microwave reactor to temperatures around 500-600°C. The microwaves selectively heat the carbon black in the tires, causing it to pyrolyze and release oils, gases, and carbon. The oils have low sulfur content and high distillable hydrocarbon fractions, making them suitable for fuels. The process parameters like pyrolysis rate and heating rate can be optimized to achieve the desired oil properties.
9. Rotating Wheel Hub with Grooves and Gas Jet Group for Tire Pyrolysis in Zoned Heating Chamber
BEIJING TIANHAIYUAN TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, SHANDONG SHOUGUANG QINGDA TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT PROT CO LTD, SHANDONG SHOUGUANG QINGDA TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION CO LTD, 2011
A method for efficiently handling junked tires using a specialized machine. The machine has a rotating wheel hub with grooves to load tires from below. The tires are pyrolyzed in a chamber with heating zones. Pyrolysis gas returns to participate in the reaction. This allows complete breakdown of the tires into valuable products. The machine also has a gas jet group to supply gas for the pyrolysis. The rotating wheel hub design enables efficient loading of whole tires or tire powder. The pyrolysis process reduces contamination compared to physical methods. It also has better automation, lower cost, lower waste, and lower environmental impact than existing methods.
10. Spout Bed Contact System for Tire Pyrolysis with Integrated Gas Recirculation and Cogeneration
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT CONSULTING S L, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT CONSULTING SL, UNIV PAIS VASCO, 2011
A process and furnace for treating tires to recover carbon black and generate energy. The process involves pyrolyzing tires at high temperature to convert the rubber into gas and separate carbon black. The pyrolysis is done in a furnace with a spout bed contact system that allows segregating the carbon black from the bed without removing the catalyst. The furnace also recirculates pyrolysis gas for heat input and uses the pyrolysis gas as fuel in a cogeneration system to produce electricity and thermal energy. The process recovers carbon black, reduces waste, and provides energy and materials from tire treatment.
11. Process for Separating Metal and Plastic Components in Scrap Tires and Composite Materials with Subsequent Pyrolysis
KAMINSKY WALTER, PATENTUS AG, 2008
A more efficient and cleaner process for recycling scrap tires and composite materials like rubber-metal products. The process involves separating the metal components from the plastic components, pyrolyzing the plastics, extracting the pyrolysis gas and oil, and removing the carbon black and any remaining metal. This allows recycling the plastics separately from the metals, avoiding contamination issues and enabling higher quality recycling products. It also reduces energy consumption compared to co-pyrolysis of the metal and plastic components.
12. Anoxic Catalyst-Assisted Cleavage System for Whole Tire Recycling
LIJUAN REN, REN LIJUAN, 2007
A cleavage method for recycling junked tires that involves anoxic cracking using catalyst and nitrogen to prevent explosion. The method involves feeding whole tires and catalyst into an anoxic feeding warehouse filled with nitrogen. The nitrogen prevents oxygen from entering during cracking to prevent explosions. The tires and catalyst are heated and cracked in a separate chamber. The gases and liquids produced are separated. The method allows recycling junked tires without separating the rubber, steel, and fiber first, using an anoxic environment to prevent explosions, and adjusting catalyst dosage for better quality products.
13. Fluidized Bed Furnace Pyrolysis System for Waste Tire Processing
SPIEGELBERG VOLKER, 2007
Disposing of waste tires and similar materials by pyrolysis in a fluidized bed furnace (SWSF) instead of incineration. The tires are fed into a reactor under nitrogen, heated to 850°C for 30-180 minutes, with heat from the SWSF. The pyrolysis gas and oil are extracted, condensed, and used as fuel. The residue is cooled and sent to the SWSF as fuel. This avoids air pollution and segregation issues of incineration. The SWSF provides heat for pyrolysis and generates electricity. The extracted heat is used for power generation or heat supply. The pyrolysis residue is removed and recycled.
14. Modified Pyrolysis Process for Rubber Waste with Chilled Residue Discharge and Integrated Gas Recycling
SERHIEIEV VITALII VOLODYMYROVY, SERHIEIEV VITALII VOLODYMYROVYCH, 2007
Improving the production of alternative fuels from worn tires and other rubber waste using a modified pyrolysis process that reduces idle time, eliminates caking and improves quality. The process involves chilling the residue before discharge, separating out metal and non-metal inclusions, crushing them, and then classifying into fractions. This modified sequence helps prevent caking and lumping of the residue. Additionally, using pyrolysis gas cleaned of impurities as fuel for the pyrolysis chamber instead of external sources.
15. Cold Quenching Method for Material Separation in Waste Tire Recycling
TIANJIN UNIV, UNIV TIANJIN, 2007
Cold quenching processing method for recycling waste tires that avoids the high energy costs and pollution issues of traditional tire recycling methods. The method involves melting and quenching the tires to separate the rubber from the steel. The tires are first softened by heating. Then they are quickly cooled in a liquid medium to shatter the rubber. This separates the rubber from the steel for easier recycling. The cooled rubber can be further processed while the steel is recycled separately. The melting and quenching steps allow efficient separation without high energy inputs or pollution from pyrolysis.
16. Pyrolysis System with Mechanical Tire Compression and Gas Condensation for Component Separation
ERNEST LEE, LEE ERNEST, 2006
Pyrolysis-based system for treating waste tires that converts them into useful products like fuel oil, methane gas, carbon black, and steel wire. The system involves feeding tires into a reaction chamber where they are pyrolyzed at high temperatures to decompose into the separate components. The compressed tires are mechanically shaped to fit the chamber. The pyrolysis gases are condensed to separate the oil and methane. The system efficiently converts tires into reusable products with reduced pollution compared to burning or landfilling.
17. Tire Recycling System with Post-Pyrolysis Molecular Destruction and Selective Hydrocarbon Condensation
OTALISMANOE SMALL PRIVATE ENTE, OTALISMANOE SMALL PRIVATE ENTERPISE, 2006
Improving the process of recycling worn tires by changing the technological scheme and operating conditions to obtain targeted hydrocarbon mixtures with reduced energy consumption compared to traditional tire pyrolysis. The improvement involves using a block for molecular destruction after the pyrolysis reactor. In this block, the gas stream from pyrolysis is regulated to preferentially produce desired hydrocarbon components. Condensation separates out the desired hydrocarbons, the gas is burned for heat, and the liquid returns to pyrolysis. This allows targeting specific hydrocarbon mixtures with lower energy compared to single-step pyrolysis.
18. Continuous Tire Recycling System Utilizing Oil Bath Melting and Screw Press Separation
BELYAKOV VIKTOR NIKOLAEVICH, BULAT ANATOLIY FEDOROVICH, 2006
A continuous process for recycling worn tires that involves melting the rubber and steel cord in a bath of oil or other materials to soften the tires, then separating the rubber from the steel cord using a screw press. This allows high-throughput recycling of whole tires without the need for pre-shredding or segmentation. The softened rubber can be further processed into products like road bitumen or pyrolyzed into fuel. The steel cord remains can be used in steel recycling.
19. Sealed Continuous Pyrolysis System with Air Exclusion for Waste Tire Decomposition
JEONG YONG JAE, JUN GN SOO, 2005
Sealed continuous pyrolysis system for recycling waste tires that prevents external air from entering during the pyrolysis process. The system feeds finely chopped waste tires continuously into a sealed chamber where they decompose into carbon black, oil, and iron cores at low temperatures. This sealed operation prevents oxygen from entering and reduces secondary pollutant formation. The sealed pyrolysis allows higher quality carbon black, oil, and iron cores to be produced compared to open systems. After pyrolysis, the sealed system prevents secondary pollutant emissions by not discharging any residue.
20. Atmospheric Pressure Thermolysis Process for Devolatilizing Waste Tire Rubber in Inert Atmosphere
CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS, CONSEJO SUPERIOR INVESTIGACION, VICTORY S R O, 2005
A process for recycling waste tire rubber using thermolysis in an inert atmosphere at atmospheric pressure to convert it into useful products like oils, carbon black, and gases. The process involves feeding chopped tire into a reactor, devolatilizing it at around 850°C to yield gases, oils, and carbonaceous material. The gases are condensed into saleable fractions like gasoline, kerosene, and gas oil. The carbon black is cooled and collected. The process is self-sufficient as the waste heat powers the plant.
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