Rubber recycling technology
Waste tyres consist of approximately 70-80% on average of rubber, with the remainder being a combination of reinforcing materials (steel wires and plastic fibrous cords).
The Molectra® process is remarkably flexible with its ability to switch between production streams to satisfy market demands. The clean rubber can be sold to the crumb rubber market or potentially can be put through the vacuum microwave unit to extract the carbon and oil (approximately 1:1 ratio).
Unlike all other tyre recycling methods, the Molectra® technology completely eliminates pollution and disposal problems as well as all associated costs, while extracting valuable commodities to supply to many different markets.
The process firstly involves the complete recovery of all components which on average consist of:
| Component breakdown | Composition: | |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Rubber | 70% (truck) | 70% (car) |
| 2) Steel | 27% (truck) | 15% (car) |
| 3) Plastic Fibres | 3%(truck) | 15% (car) |
All of these by-products can be used to manufacture further value-added products that have higher market value and demand.
The scientifically developed and independently tested process reclaims all of the components that make up a tyre cleanly and efficiently (100% recovery). There is no waste, residue or emissions.
The Molectra® process was designed specifically to lower the cost of processing waste tyres. One specific innovation of the process is the possible recovery of hydrocarbon gas and oil which potentially can be used to generate enough electricity to operate the whole plant. It is estimated that up to 390 litres of oil can be extracted from each one tonne of tyre input. However the microwave technology is not yet commercially available and is in an advanced stage of development.
The products generated by the Molectra® process have been scientifically tested by several independent laboratories with excellent results. A short summary of these results is outlined below:
- The rubber crumbs do not have any metallic or thread contaminants;
- 53% of the rubber feedstock is recovered as carbon which is 97.3% pure;
- 47% of the rubber feedstock is recovered as oil and has a calorific value (CV) of 42.5MJ per kg, which is about the same as diesel oil;