Criosinter

Development of an Innovative Recycling Process based on Cryogenic and Water Jet Grinding and Sintering Techniques for Extending the use of Recycled Rubber in the Development of High Quality Products

The main goal of the project was to develop an innovative recycling process for producing recycled raw rubber of suffi cient quality to compete with virgin rubber in highly demanding products. This was achieved by integrating emerging tyre grinding technologies, novel transformation processes and new materials design technologies. Emotional engineering techniques were also used to improve the public’s perception of recycled products.

The overall objectives of the project were:

• Optimisation of cryogenic and water jet grinding technologies to develop a grain morphology control system for use in rubber crumb production.
• Development of procedures for optimising high pressure and high temperature rubber crumb sintering.
• Development of a material design methodology that would allow the translation of product requirements into product properties.
• Identification of the emotional barriers associated with the use of recycled products.
• Integration of the knowledge gained during the project into a process for producing high added value products from scrap tyres.

Organisational Information

Budget: €1.3M
Funding: €0.7M
Start Date: November 2005
Finish date: December 2007
Duration (in months): 26
Lead Partner (Co-ordinator): IBV, Spain

Participants

• Adria, Italy
• AIMPLAS, Spain
• AMSA, Spain
• Analco, Spain
• Etra, France
• Frontijne, Netherlands
• Geyer, Poland
• Recipneu, Portugal
• Rep Internacional, France
• Smithers Rapra, UK

Results – What happened next?

The most relevant results are those of lab prototypes with tensile strengths greater than 9MPa and the results from the emotional study which suggested a significant input would be needed from the communication strategy around the "Recycled product" concept in order to improve market acceptance.