Tyre Technical Proposal

Design Philosophy

The philosophy in the design of this recycling plant is to apply the very best technology available to
produce a reprocessing system that is economically sound and will be able to support itself. At the same
time the design and technology is such that the whole of the tyre is used to generate added value
product and that no part of the tyre or process chemical is either discharged to the local environment or
to landfill.

Technology Approaches to Tyre Recycling

Four key technological routes have been identified for the processing of 25,000 tonnes per annum of
waste tyres into value added recyclate. These are, from low technology to high technology, granulate,
and de-vulcanisation and thermo-set bonded composites. The use of pyrolysis technology will also be
used to ensure that no residue from the proposed facility needs be discharged to landfill or other
external waste disposal.

Technologies
Below are the technologies to be used for Tyres recycling, as proposed in the following diagram

(1)
(1) Mechanical Process
Technologies of Tyre Recycling Processes (Zero Waste)

3 Mobile Shredding Stations

Dhafra Landfill
Mobile primary Mobile primary Mobile primary
Shredding Station Shredding Station Shredding Station

primary Shredding Secondary Shredding Granulated

Waste wire
+Waste fabrics
Stage1 Stage2 2 Stages + Separation

(2) Micronisation

(2)
Micronisation
process
(4) De-Vulcanisation
(3)De-Vulcanisation (5) Pyrolysis
(3)
(4) (5)
Nanometric Technology Thermo-Set Pyrolysis
(De- vulcanisation)
Process

Char
Clean
New Virgin (Carbon
Many High Steel
Rubber Materials Black)
Value Products
many 1000
’s of
Rubber products
Constructions
Industrials products
Mechanical Process

This is a Physical Diminution process. All tyre reprocessing requires physical diminution to break down
large tyres comprising of several closely integrated materials into smaller pieces that allow the release
and separation of the various components that make up the tyre; rubber, steel, fabric.

x Shredding Two Stages

The primary process is shredding, to tear the tyre into smaller pieces suitable for processing
which is then followed by granulation, to separate out the various components

(1) Primary Shredding:-.

The primary job of these units is to tear the whole tyre down to 100-200mm. The
objective of this project is to implement up to date tyre management systems by carrying
out all the primary shredding from stock piles. It will be more economical to transport the
small pieces of tyre shred than a whole tyre.

The final aim is to remove and recycle 100% of the waste tyres and clean the stock piles
land fill areas and put in place a comprehensive up to date recycling.

(2) Secondary Shredding to tear tyre pieces to around 50mm

Granulation
Granulation (crumbing process) is the standard technology solution, whose product, at this
moment in time has the largest available market. Tyres pieces are processed further in more
than one stage to separate the steel and fabric and the rubber is reduced and sized to granules in
the range 1 to 10mm.

This technology is relatively straightforward, well known with a ready market. The material is of
relatively low value but is a precursor material for other technologies which add significant further
value and consequently have a significant economic impact on the viability of the reprocessing
plant, see below. This type of rubber crumb material has found very large use in applications
such as sports field dressing, footpaths and playground surfaces and in non-critical road furniture
uses such as bollards. As such there is a ready market and it is proposed that the reprocessing
plant will have the facility to bag up such granulate for sale to the marketplace.
 Materials Separation
Fabrics Rubber Crumb
Steel Contaminated

Figure 2 Separation of rubber, steel & fabrics from Mechanical process stage.

Mechanical Process Diagram & Materials

Primary
Tyre Shredding
Shredding
System stage 1+2
to produce crumb
rubber <20 mesh Secondary
Shredding
150 kW
Capacity 4 to nn/hr
Under 20 mm

Separation
Zone

Metal by Rubber
Magnet Fibre Collection
Baling For use

Crumb Rubber
Maximum size 20 mesh
 1 to 2 or 3 mm Crumb
Up to 5 or 10 mm Crumb

Figure; 3 complete layout plus the products expected from the Mechanical process
Micronisation process
The Micronisation stage is designed to physically reduce the size of the rubber granulate (Crumb). Using
patented Dena technology, the material is rapidly and efficiently reduced to microns size. The machinery
used utilises an operating mode not previously seen in de-vulcanisation and rubber processing and
allows the rubber to be reduced to the optimum size for the downstream processes.

Furthermore, in the next following stage, Dena will provide a more advance technology to produce the
nanometric range, required as part of the input to the de-vulcanisation technology (described below).
Micronisation process Plan

Interstage
Interstage
M1
Stock
Stock
M2 = Micronisation
M3 reactors
M4
M1
Crumb Rubber M2 M3
Micronisation M4
Cascade
180kW
Capacity
2 tonne
/hr
Separation
Screening
= Pump

Rubber in Microns size

To Surface
Preparation
Figure; 4 complete layout of Micronisation process
 Micronisated Rubber
powder

Figure; 5 Fine rubber powders from Micronisation Process.

Nanometric Process Route (De-vulcanisation)

In most engineering applications, including tyres, soft, very elastic rubber is given additional strength
and fixed in shape using a vulcanisation process. This process, also referred to as cross-linking, uses
sulphur molecules to lock together the long chain proteins and other organics molecules that make up
the rubber. This vulcanisation process is difficult to reverse and has not usually attempted a as part of
the recycling of rubber from end of life tyres. This problem of de-vulcanisation has traditionally placed a
strong technological barrier on the types of applications that recycled rubber can be used in.
The application of a unique nanometric de-vulcanising technology to the rubber now opens up a large
range of possibilities not previously available to rubber recyclers.

The Dena technology has been used to design an integrated system for the reprocessing of end-of-life
tyres, extracting and de-vulcanising the rubber component, suitable for reuse as a raw material for
rubber products. This is a high-added value product.

A double nanometric approach is taken. The use of patented micronising system turns rubber granulate
into very small particles suitable for further processing in a unique mechano-chemical process which
effectively breaks down the sulphur cross-links allowing the recyclate rubber to be used in all
applications that the original virgin material can be used in.

In addition Dena technology has been incorporated in the manufacturing method a closed system to
ensure that there is no risk of the rubber or other materials being exposed to the environment, and vice
versa, and that the process as a whole can be run without emissions or other discharges.

The output of the de-vulcanisation system is a raw material which can be used for most engineering
applications which require rubber. There is a large and ready market for such material, especially in the
global facing manufacturing economies of China, India and Brazil.
In addition the use of such material can help displace the manufacture of replacement synthetic rubbers
which have oil as their feedstock. The easy recycling and reuse of such materials in a world of
declining oil production will mean that market acceptance and demand for such materials can only
increase in the short, medium and long term future. There are four main stages to produce the virgin
like rubber materials, these unique processes based on the Dena technology are:-.

Stage 3, Surface Preparation

This unique process is designed to prepare the surface of the fine rubber powder (Micronised rubber)
down to the nanometric zone, by reducing the particle size by several thousand times and therefore
increasing the overall surface area of rubber available for chemical reaction ready for de-vulcanization.
 The technique is primarily made up of high intensity shearing systems. Shear stresses, in excess of the
shear strength of the rubber are applied. In combination with organic chemical accelerators
(proprietary) and a small amount of pressure, this high shear reduces the rubber particles to less than
50µm.

Residence time in this stage is around 15 minutes, during which the temperature of the rubber is
gradually increased to around 80°C.

Stage 4, Main De-Vulcanising Processing

This is the main process in the system and is designed to breakdown the sulphur cross linked between
the polymeric molecules. The De-vulcanisation process has not any harmful emission.

In the de-vulcanising process, the material in this stage is heated to a temperature in the range 180-
200°C, which then allow Dena’s reactors technology to be utilises the in two ways. Firstly the intensifier
works the rubber to help breakdown the structure and secondly is to allow a specially developed
chemical cocktail to come into intimate contact with the rubber at the molecular level. These chemicals
are primarily responsible for breaking the sulphur bonds within the rubber giving de-vulcanisation. This
is achieved through a process of proton exchange at the polysulphidic cross linking groups.

As the chemical reacts with a larger surface areas of the now micron sized rubber particles a Dena
shearing processor removes this reacted surface to expose new rubber to the chemical. As the surface is
sheared away the removed particles of rubber are further reduced in size down to the nanometric size
to produce the new virgin like materials of high quality de-vulcanised rubber that has a high market
value and demand.

The residence time for stages 3 & 4 is around 11½ hours, with the material being constantly sheared
throughout the process and particle size is reduced to the nanometric range.
In the final stages the material can be blended in the usual way to give rubber appropriate for the
particular application. As with most rubber precursor materials some formulation and/or cure adjustment
may be required. We have the necessary data many of these applications.

Material from the process is then packaged ready for sale and transport or produce a different types of
rubber components.
 (3) Nanometric De-Vulcanisation

Surface
Preparation

Ch2 Chemical reagents.

For surface
Surface preparation process
preparation ch3 of micronised rubber
Ch1

tonne /hr Ch -Dv =

Chemical reagents
Blending for de -vulcanisation
Control reactor

Chdv Chdv
Surface Surface Surface Surface
1 2
Reactor 1 Reactor 2 Reactor 3 Reactor 4

n
Rec ircul

Chdv
3 Chdv
= Mixture

Heating system

DV -R e actor DV -R e actor DV -R eactor DV -R eactor

C hamber 1 C hamber 2 C hamber 3 C hamber 4 Dena
Reaction
Chamber

Pump to final
processing &
packaging

Baling

Packing Finish

Figure; 6
Nanometric Process (de-Vulcanisation) complete layout.

Summary of Testing Results of Nanometric Processing

Testing on the de-vulcanized material from the process has indicated that 95% of the original properties
of the material are retained.

AKRON RUBBER DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY INC. 2887 Gilchrist Road > Akron, Ohio, USA, has carried out
the evaluation of the new virgin rubber materials. A full report is available.

Dena has many years experience in using such results to confirm the design of full scale plants based on
its core technology, see the full plant of the De-vulcanisation of Nanometric Process below;
 Additive
Nanometric Technology
De-Vulcanisation –New Virgin Rubber
No harmful emissions

Rubber
Powder

Figure 7
Nanometric Process Line (de-Vulcanisation).
 (1)NANO-METRIC De-Vulcanisation Process

Some Products Manufactured

(1)NANO-METRIC De-Vulcanisation :

Road Furniture , Construction, Engineering

Road Furniture
Ducting

Engineering
Household Goods
£500 to 3000 per tonne

Figure; 8 Nanometric Process (de-Vulcanisation) different products can be made

.
Thermo-set Bonding Route

Introduction

Rubber granulate has, for a long time, been used with resins, especially polyurethane technology old
technique, to produce products such as traffic cones and bollards. The manufacturing method adopted
for such products is usually restricted to manual or semi-automatic moulding processes. Such moulding
techniques restrict the product shapes and forms which can be produced and also tend to prevent large
pressures being used to consolidate product.

As a result, the problem with such products is that they are inherently low strength with a tendency to
be damaged easily. As such they cannot be used in circumstances in which the products are likely to be
subjected to high stresses and where long term integrity is needed. Furthermore it is difficult to remove
the resin from the product. This means that there is a limit to the number of times they can be recycled
and reused before the amount of resin increases to the point where, once again, the structural integrity
albeit low to begin with, is impaired excessively and the material cannot be reused.

Thermo-set Technology

To overcome all of these problems it is proposed to use a thermal bonding method to produce products
using waste tyre rubber crumb mixed with a thermo-set materials (thermoplastic) as a binding agent.
The thermo-set materials are mainly drive from waste too. The yield is different types of products
produced by especially designed extruding system or injection moulding or rolling process. The ratio
used to suit the finish products which they have desired properties and have several key advantages.
These materials can be manufactured from 100% recycled tire rubber and thermal material with a
variety of durable products. This extremely tough and durable material is easy to clean, which makes it
perfect for floors, trailer, tiles, wood replacement for building, ports in extreme conditions. This material
is stronger than other composites, is impervious to water, and is UV resistant. The boards made from it
will not crack, rot, or split. So this material is an environmentally friendly and it can last longer. The
material has also a natural choice for a number of specialized products too.
Finally the products are easy to recycle again with the simple addition of heat. Both the rubber
substrate and the thermoplastic material can be re-melted and remanufactured. There is very little
restriction on the number of times this can be done given good control of both the original and recycling
manufacturing process.
 Rubber Crumb
Receiving &
(4)Thermo-Set
Storage
Intensification Process

Fine Medium Coarse

Thermal
Waste LAYOUT OF
Product
PROCESSING
PLANT
Mixer with Weight & Colouring
Mixing Control System Agent

Hot Extruding System Roller Cooling System

Cutting (to length) station

Packing & Palleting

Figure; 9 Thermo-set Process complete layout.

Some Thermo-Set Products

•Dunnage composite
Household goods Construction
•used as wood Application

Figure; 10 some products will be produced from Thermo-set Process.

 This products are guarantee against
chemicals, ultra-violet, petro.-chemicals,
oils and seawater

Sea Wall, Port

Figure; 11 some products will be produced from Thermo-set Process

PRODUCT MARKETS
at UAE & Gulf
Dubai Waterfront
Palm Islands

Port World

Figure 12, Shaw the potential markets in the UAE alone.

Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis for Removal of Rubber Contamination in Tyre Wire

Dena Technology has developed a high efficiency pyrolysis process for the processing of end of life
vehicle tyres

It is proposed that such a pyrolysis process is used to remove rubber from wire removed from end of
life tyres.

The following represents the most basic process in which the wire is cleaned to add value and the
products of the process are recycled back into the process or sold as produced without further
processing.

The process has been designed so that it consumes all of its own waste leaving no substances that give
rise to additional disposal costs.

One key issue with tyre recycling is disposal of both the steel and the fabric recovered from the tyres.

The fabric is a waste product with very limited uses and frequently ends up being discharged to landfill.
At around 5-7% by weight of the tyre and having a very large volume this is a potential problem in
trying to design a zero waste solution to the problem of tyre recycling.

Steel from shredding and granulation is usually contaminated with quantity of rubber due to incomplete
separation and adherence of the rubber to the steel. This greatly reduces the selling value of the steel
as scrap, because of the rubber residual with steel.

A process with an installed target capacity of 2800 tonnes per year of clean wire is proposed and to
produce 418 tonnes of char. The rubber contamination consists of approximately 65% organic
compounds and 35% carbon filler.

Pyrolysis process

The contaminated Wire is charged to the pyrolysis furnace where it is subjected to temperatures in the
range 450 to 700°C under anaerobic (that is oxygen free) conditions.

This process causes the rubber to break down and the organic component of the oil is converted into a
mixture of organic chemicals, primarily alkenes, and incompressible gasses.

The complex mixture of organic chemicals has the potential to be used as a fuel or as a chemical
precursor. The organic molecules it contains tend to be of relatively low molecular weight. The
incompressible gases are primarily methane and hydrogen, again with a high calorific value and the
potential to be used as fuel within the process.
In this proposal the chemical mixture is recycled back in to the process to provide energy and to ensure
that no additional waste arises.

This process involves the thermal degradation in the absence of oxygen to the waste rubber on the steel
and the fabric. The benefit of this application is the conversion of waste rubber into value-added
products, mainly fuel oil, uncompressible gas and char (Carbon Black). In the case of tyre fabric this
turns the material into fine carbon.
Then the tyre steel, in the Pyrolysis process will be removed mechanically from the steel leaving it clean
and at full value as a recyclate for downstream processing. The carbon from both the rubber and the
fabric can then be processed using Dena Technology particle size reduction equipment to provide
technical char. Further processing can be used to convert this char into other useful products e.g.
pigment, carbon black for new tyre or activated carbon, through the use of reactor at around 900°C in
the presence of steam, after washing of the char by acid.

The use of pyrolysis to process both the fabric and the steel adds considerable potential income to the
processing plant and reduces to zero the waste from the process. The steel can be recovered and sold
for full value, the residual rubber and fabric are converted into pyrolytic char and/or activated carbon
which has a large use in and large value to the water treatment industry. This can product a high value
product which can be used in the water treatment or other applications.

Emissions
The pyrolysis process is an inherently low emission system. However the system is designed with a
scrubbing system with wet treatment to ensure that nothing escapes into the local environment.

Figure, 13; Pyrolysis diagram

IN C O M P R E S S I B L E
GAS

3 to n n e s p e r h o u r

C le a n S te e l

D ir t y S te e l
(2 5 % R u b b e r)
P y r o ly s is

L o w G ra d e
4 to n n e s p e r h o u r C a rb o n

SYNCRUDE 350kg per hour

S c h e m a t ic o f B a s ic T y r e
W ir e P y r o ly s is P r o c e s s

Figure, 14; Pyrolysis layout

 Pyrolysis Main Products
STEEL Carbon & Char
1000-5000 / tonne (further
High Value Clean Steel processing)

Figure, 15; Products from Pyrolysis of clean steel & char (carbon black)