Researchers at waste consultancy Juniper have found that, despite widespread market interest in using tyre char – produced when tyres are broken down by heat in the absence of oxygen – it would probably need further processing to find a market.
This could have a “significant” impact on the economics of tyre recycling projects – making many unfeasible.
The study follows renewed interest in recycling tyres in the UK through pyrolysis, following the ban of both shredded and whole tyres from landfill last year under the EU Landfill Directive.
The report looked at markets ranging from water treatment to soil remediation and researchers said: “The analysis shows that at present none of the potential opportunities are straightforward.”
They added: “Char derived from tyres is unlikely to meet the specifications required for many applications and would therefore require secondary processing. This need for char upgrading could have a significant impact upon the economics and therefore the viability of tyre pyrolysis projects.”
The report said that marketing the char as a low-grade carbon black and as general filler for use as pigment, appeared to be the most attractive outlet for the material at present.
Using char as a fuel also had “significant benefits” but fears were raised over whether this could raise concerns about the extra costs of emissions control it would require in the UK.
WRAP
| Related links: |
|
WRAP market study on the demand for char from tyre pyrolysis |
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), who funded the research, admitted that the market opportunities for char “appeared tough at this time” but said it hoped the research would promote debate among the industry as to how char could be used.
Steve Waite, WRAP's project manager for tyres, said: “Whenever companies are looking at new markets for recycled materials it is vitally important that we understand the opportunities, processing and viability of the process and also how receptive the market is.”
Subscribe for free