Waste Tire Refining: A Green Revolution From Waste to New Energy

The “garbage crisis” of waste tires

With the continuous growth of the number of cars in the world, more than 1.3 billion waste tires are generated each year. These tires are not only difficult to degrade, but may also cause fires or pollute groundwater, becoming a problem of “black pollution”.

The dilemma of tire pollution:

Difficult to degrade: It takes 400-500 years for tires to degrade naturally.

Incineration hazards: Direct incineration will release toxic gases and pollute the air.

Landfill land occupation: Landfill wastes land resources and may also affect soil and water quality.

What is tire refining?

Tire refining (waste tire pyrolysis) is a technology that converts waste tires into by-products such as fuel oil, carbon black, combustible gas and steel wire through a pyrolysis process, heating and decomposing them under anaerobic or anoxic conditions.

Tires are mainly composed of materials such as rubber, carbon black, fiber and steel wire. At high temperatures of 400°C-600°C, rubber decomposes into small molecular hydrocarbons, which are condensed to form liquid fuel oil, while carbon black and gas are generated.

The whole process of tire refining is revealed

Raw material preparation

Waste tires are classified, cut into pieces or crushed to improve heating efficiency.

Pyrolysis reaction

The tire enters the reactor and is pyrolyzed at a high temperature of 400-600°C. The intermittent treatment takes 6-12 hours, and the continuous treatment can run 24 hours a day.

Oil and gas condensation

The generated oil and gas are cooled by the condensation system to form pyrolysis oil, and the uncondensed combustible gas can be recycled for the heating system.

Carbon black and steel wire recovery

The solid products carbon black and steel wire are separated and recycled for reuse.

Treasure products of tire refining

1. Pyrolysis oil: can be used as industrial fuel oil or further refined into diesel.
2. Carbon black: used in rubber, ink, coating and other industries.
3. Combustible gas: provide heat for the reaction system and reduce energy consumption.
4. Steel wire: reuse in the furnace to reduce the demand for raw materials.

Environmental protection and economic value of tire refining

1. Reduce pollution: avoid environmental problems caused by tire landfill and incineration.
2. Provide alternative energy: pyrolysis oil can replace traditional fuels and reduce oil dependence.
3. Promote circular economy: carbon black, steel wire and other by-products realize closed-loop resource utilization.

Market potential of tire refining

1. The global waste tire recycling market is growing rapidly and is expected to exceed US$100 billion in 2030.
2. Policies support the development of renewable energy, such as China’s vigorous promotion of waste tire resource utilization.
3. With the increase in demand for energy substitution, pyrolysis oil has become a new choice for industrial fuel.

Conclusion: From “black pollution” to “green energy”

Tire refining is not only a technological innovation, but also a green revolution of “turning waste into treasure”. When waste tires become a source of clean energy, we are moving towards a more sustainable future.