DevulCO2

Creating high added value sustainable products from tyres using a novel devulcanisation technique.

This project will carry out research into the devulcanisation & reuse of scrap tyre rubber. This is a very important research area, as all used tyre rubber was banned from being placed into landfill sites within the EU from 1st July 2006. The principal aim of the project is to develop a novel, continuous & effective devulcanisation system based on a combination of supercritical carbon dioxide, chemical devulcanisation agents & extrusion equipment. A secondary objective of the project is to evaluate the devulcanised rubber as a raw material replacement for virgin rubber in the manufacture of high added-value rubber products.

The project will last for two years & is funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) within its Design & Manufacture of Sustainable Products programme. Projects within this programme are designed to develop eco-friendly & sustainable processes that will benefit SMEs based in the UK. More than £420k of direct financial assistance will be provided by the TSB, with the project partners contributing another £420k between them.

Initially, work will be carried out using an autoclave system to establish the optimum reaction conditions needed to achieve a high-quality devulcanised rubber product. The main R&D effort will then involve the successful transfer of this technology to an extruder-based system to enable a continuous process to be set up. The devulcanised product will then be evaluated as a material for the manufacture of a variety of rubber products.

Overall, the new technology developed as a result of this project will be used to provide a cost-effective solution to a challenging environmental problem. The SMEs in the project will gain the benefit for their respective businesses of having privileged access to the technology, & by the revenue generated by the granting of licences to third parties.

In addition to Smithers Rapra, the consortium partners involved in this project are PJH Partnership, Martins Rubber Company, BD Technical Polymer, J Allcock & Sons, & Charles Lawrence International. These companies bring a high degree of synergy to the project, having expertise in the recycling of rubber & the production of rubber crumb, supercritical fluid technology, & the compounding & moulding of rubber products.

Start date: 1/11/2006
Completion date: 31/10/2008

For more information, please visit - www.devulco2.net

Participants