Tyre Pyrolysis: Products & Applications

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process used to decompose organic material, namely heat treatment without oxygen. Tire pyrolysis works the same in the recycling industry: heat is applied to feedstock in a vacuum or at atmospheric pressure to decompose whole or shredded tires into marketable materials. Four primary materials derived from end-of-life tires by weight/volume in descending order are fuel oil, carbon char, steel wire, and gas.

Nowadays, different types of equipment are available for good-quality tire pyrolysis. Apart from treatment temperature, batch, and continuous feed systems are available. Opting for any of them, the operator needs to account for downtime, maintenance cost, number of employees, and recycling capacity, which are all different for these two general types. Regarding production capacity, a shredder might be needed to feed material into the reactor with a continuous combustion system. Typically, the lifetimes of continuous and batch systems can differ.

As mentioned above, the four main products of tire pyrolysis by weight/volume are fuel oil, carbon char, steel wire, and gas in descending order. Unfortunately, pyrolysis products in their raw form have relatively low market values. This is attributed to lower product quality than competing products like virgin carbon black (CB) and fuel oil. Pyrolysis products need to be refined and upgraded to replicate and generate specific properties similar to those of higher-value products to withstand market competition.

Tyre Pyrolysis Oil (TPO)

Oil makes up approximately 35-45% of pyrolysis output depending on process conditions. Recovered fuel oil consists of three fractions, with the middle fraction prevailing. It cannot be considered a substitute for traditional fuels before purification and sometimes additional treatment. The width of tire-derived pyrolysis oil application depends on regulations in particular countries where a project is carried out. In countries with strict environmental protection regulations, pyrolysis oil may require additional treatment and refinement, increasing production costs and lowering profit margins.

The main fields of application are:

• maritime fuel for vehicular engines, stationary engines (generators), and furnace fuel used by local (community) heating companies.
• Pyrolysis fuel prices largely depend on oil prices; however, when oil prices are high, selling pyrolysis fuel with rebates is commercially viable, attracting customers and expanding sales volumes. Also, some pyrolysis equipment enables the use of tires and plastic feedstock. However, our research shows that it is not recommended to mix tires and plastic due to the different nature of materials and residuals.
• The main challenge in marketing fuel in different countries is sulfur content. Regulations vary from country to country, but sulfur content usually should be less than 0.5%. In the case of maritime fuel, regulations may pose relatively high requirements. Still, the problem may be tackled by installing additional refinement equipment at the factory or applying purification systems onboard the vessel, typical for maritime transporters due to different environmental regulations in various water areas.

Carbon Black

Carbon black accounts for approximately 30 to 45 percent of tire-derived pyrolysis output. Tire-derived carbon char may appear an economically attractive and valuable product with the potential to compose a significant portion of the plant’s revenues. In contrast to standard views, carbon char is not a readily marketable commodity. Carbon char is a mixture of carbon, ash, zinc, and sulfur, commonly called pyrolysis carbon black, alternative carbon black, or recovered carbon black (rCB). In its properties, rCB is comparable with but inferior to high-value virgin grades rCB. The degree of purity and treatment required by the end product will significantly impact the value of rCB, the plant’s overall profitability, and profit margins.

Gas (Syn-gas)

Gas makes up the most minor fraction of tire pyrolysis output. Gas released during the thermal decomposition of ELT has a sufficiently high calorific value to power the operation. Thus, most pyrolysis plants are almost self-sufficient in energy consumption, and some are even capable of producing electricity (as claimed by some technology suppliers).

Pyrolysis gas is usually referred to as residual and is burnt within the reactor or in the turbine. Due to purification problems and complexity, the gas cannot be sold as a fuel. Therefore, there is a better alternative, which is to convert it into electricity. Given current high electricity prices, gas, and heating oil can significantly enhance the commercial viability of tire pyrolysis plants.

Find The Right Production Technology

We regularly conduct deep dives into tire recycling, its products, and applications. Klean Industries’ tire recycling experts regularly research tire recycling and pyrolysis projects and equipment vendors to identify the most efficient and reliable equipment available today.

If you want to learn more about high-quality production technologies and detailed market requirements for materials and customers for tire-derived pyrolysis products, please send us your inquiry to sales@kleanindustries.com.

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