Since there is an increase in the demand for tires, the volume of tires in landfills has also increased. This is the reason why tire recycling is given high priority today. There was a time when the price of an ounce of rubber was same as the price of an ounce of silver. This served as a great motivation for everyone to recycle the tires that they had or any other rubber products. However, this move was affected with the introduction of synthetic rubber, as well as with the use of steel belted radial tires which are more difficult to recycle. This was one of the reasons why again tires started to accumulate in landfills. A lot of people have been dumping their tires without even knowing the health hazards of their action.

The physical attribute of a tire makes it a good breeding place for pests, like rodents and mosquitoes. If tires in landfills would continue to increase in volume, then surely the diseases brought by these pests would also increase. If you look at landfills, then a big percentage of the area is occupied by rubber products. So, if there would be a way to deal with these rubber products the right way, then it would surely free up a lot of space in landfills. Another problem that these dumped tires could cause is water pollution. The chemicals used for creating rubber will slowly decompose with time and with rain there would be a chance that these chemicals would seep-down the ground causing water pollution. It is really a good thing that the government has started to act on this before the condition gets out of control.

Today, recycled rubber is used in different markets. There are actually three markets for scrap tires. First is the TDF or tire derived fuel. This kind of fuel is accepted as a good alternative for fossil fuels. The reason why these scrap tires are also priced high is due to their high heating value. There are now a lot of countries that utilize TDF. There are several reasons for this. First, tires give more energy than coal and about the same energy as oil. Ashes from TDF are less harmful than those from coal. For facilities that want to utilize TDF, they should have the necessary permits required by the state where they are operating their business. This is necessary to make sure that all environmental concerns are properly addressed. Another market for scrap tires is civil engineering applications. Recycled tires have found great use in civil engineering applications, like embankment fill and landfill projects. These tires are also good replacement for materials, like insulation blocks and other type of fills. Roads are made safe due to fills that are made from recycled rubber. The last market would be ground rubber applications. Some of these are ground covers for playgrounds to keep kids safe while they play. Reclaim rubber has a shock-absorbing property, making these covers useful when kids fall down. These covers are also used as animal bedding. There are definitely a lot of good uses for old tires, so it is better to recycle them, than dumping anywhere.

http://ecogreenequipment.com/

The pyrolysis method for recycling used tires is a technique which heats whole or shredded tires in a reactor vessel containing an oxygen-free atmosphere. In the reactor the rubber is softened after which the rubber polymers break down into smaller molecules. These smaller molecules eventually vaporize and exit from the reactor. These vapors can be burned directly to produce power or condensed into an oily type liquid, generally used as a fuel. Some molecules are too small to condense. They remain as a gas which can be burned as fuel. The minerals that were part of the tire, about 40% by weight, are removed as solid ashes. When performed properly, the tire pyrolysis process is a clean operation and produces little emissions or waste, however, concerns about air pollution due to incomplete combustion as is the case with tire fires have been documented.^[19]

The properties of the gas, liquid, and solid output are determined by the type of feed-stock used and the process conditions. For instance whole tires contain fibers and steel. Shredded tires have most of the steel and sometimes most of the fiber removed. Processes can be either batch or continuous. The energy required to drive the decomposition of the rubber include using directly fired fuel (like a gas oven), electrical induction (like an electrically heated oven) or by microwaves (like a microwave oven). Sometimes a catalyst is used to accelerate the decomposition. The choice of feed-stock and process can affect the value of the finished products.

The historical issue of tire pyrolysis has been the solid mineral stream, which accounts for about 40% of the output. The steel can be removed from the solid stream with magnets for recycling. The remaining solid material, often referred to as “char“, has had little or no value other than possibly as a low grade carbon fuel. Char is the destroyed remains of the original carbon black used to reinforce and provide abrasion resistance to the tire. The solid stream also includes the minerals used in rubber manufacturing. This high volume component of tire pyrolysis is a major impediment, although this theme continues to be a source of innovation.

 

This article was taken from Wikipedia for your enjoyment. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_recycling

Crumb rubber is made from recycled tires!  The recycling process removes cord and steel from the tires and leaves grainy, yet soft, ‘crumb rubber’.  There are a wide variety of uses for crumb rubber including athletic surfaces, new tires, landscaping, playground surfaces, asphalt (rubber modified), trails and the list goes on.

According to Wikipedia, Rubberized asphalt is the largest market for crumb rubber!  Followed by playground covering and running tracks.

Crumb rubber has aided in the prevention of major injuries from professional athletes.

Also according to Wikipedia, about 12 million tires are recycled each year for crumb rubber!

Rubber Mulch

Rubber Mulch is the smart choice for all your landscape and play areas. It can be used everywhere wood mulch is used. And since it doesn’t attract TERMITES and other insects, unlike wood mulch, it can be used near house foundations, trees and other wood structures.

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Rubber Mulch eliminates the need for annual mulching for up to 12 years. Wood mulch products degrade and fade quickly so they need to be maintained and replaced annually.

• Saves up to 75% over 12 years versus wood mulch in landscapes
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Wood mulch products fade quickly from sun exposure and natural product degradation. Rubber Mulch does not degrade and is guaranteed to maintain at least 50% of it’s color for up to 12 years.

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As a play surface, a 6 in. layer of Rubber Mulch can cushion a child’s fall from as high as 16 ft. It also meets the criteria required for IPEMA certification and ASTM Wheelchair accessibility.

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Applying Rubber Mulch over a weed block landscape fabric virtually eliminates weeds, so there’s no need for harsh chemicals.