PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
In Hungary, about 40-45 thousand tons of waste deriving from used tyres is produced every year. This large volume of waste causes considerable environmental problems. Due to their size, used tyres are not suitable to be handled together with industrial or household wastes. Therefore, they are difficult to handle and pollute the environment. Substantial efforts have been made all over the world to search for possibilities to recycle or safely dispose of used tyres.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the project was to establish a processing plant, operating with a high pressure water jet technology which would allow a fine grinding process without affecting the rubber characteristics. This new process was expected to enable the beneficiary to recycle up to 8.000 tons of waste rubber tyres per year without creating further wastes, and with an output (fine rubber powder) that could be utilised as raw material. The project would go some way to easing the environmental burdens caused by waste rubber tyres.
RESULTS
The company, Regum Ldt was specifically established for the realisation and practical utilization of a patented Hungarian invention which uses an ultra high pressure water jet for stripping a used tyre into fine rubber particles. The stripping is the result of a coordinated movement of the tyre and the water jet beam of approx. 2000 bars pressure. The invention is formally described as follows: "Procedure for selective regaining of the components of elastic waste materials made of more than one component, especially of used rubber tyres, and equipment for producing rubber powder for the implementation of the procedure". This water jet grinding offers immediate advantages compared to similar procedures. First of all, there is no need for shredding, the tyre can be processed in its original whole round status. Furthermore, there is no need for further mechanical grinding either, as the water jet stripping produces rubber powder in one process step. The outside and inside rubber materials can be selectively stripped while the steel cord remains intact, which avoids polluting the rubber powder. Finally, the rubber powder material is obviously clean, because the grinding "tool" – the water – is a technological purified medium. The rubber powder resulting from the process does not require any pre-treatment; it can be directly used in rubber industries, in polymer coupling and petrochemical industry. A further product generated by the recycling process is the steel cord of tyres, which is a highly alloyed raw material for the steel industry. The rubber powder produced with the technology developed through this project is suitable as an input in the manufacture of tyres and other rubber products. At the end of the project, Regum had initiated the marketing of the product but had not yet confirmed buyers.The company, Regum Ldt was specifically established for the realisation and practical utilization of a patented Hungarian invention which uses an ultra high pressure water jet for stripping a used tyre into fine rubber particles. The stripping is the result of a coordinated movement of the tyre and the water jet beam of approx. 2000 bars pressure. The invention is formally described as follows: "Procedure for selective regaining of the components of elastic waste materials made of more than one component, especially of used rubber tyres, and equipment for producing rubber powder for the implementation of the procedure". This water jet grinding offers immediate advantages compared to similar procedures. First of all, there is no need for shredding, the tyre can be processed in its original whole round status. Furthermore, there is no need for further mechanical grinding either, as the water jet stripping produces rubber powder in one process step. The outside and inside rubber materials can be selectively stripped while the steel cord remains intact, which avoids polluting the rubber powder. Finally, the rubber powder material is obviously clean, because the grinding "tool" – the water – is a technological purified medium. The rubber powder resulting from the process does not require any pre-treatment; it can be directly used in rubber industries, in polymer coupling and petrochemical industry. A further product generated by the recycling process is the steel cord of tyres, which is a highly alloyed raw material for the steel industry. The rubber powder produced with the technology developed through this project is suitable as an input in the manufacture of tyres and other rubber products. At the end of the project, Regum had initiated the marketing of the product but had not yet confirmed buyers.