DevulCO2

Creating High Added Value Sustainable Products from Tyres using a Novel Devulcanisation Technique

This project carried out research into the devulcanisation and re-use of scrap tyre rubber. This is a very important research area, as all used tyre rubber was banned from being placed into landfi ll sites within the EU from 1st July 2006. The principal aim of the project was to develop a novel, continuous and effective devulcanisation system based on a combination of supercritical carbon dioxide, chemical devulcanisation agents and extrusion equipment. A secondary objective of the project was to evaluate the devulcanised rubber as a raw material replacement for virgin rubber in the manufacture of high-added value 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 benefi ts for their respective businesses of having privileged access to the technology, and by the revenue generated by the granting of licences to third parties.

Organisational Information

Budget: £857k
Funding: £429k
Start Date: November 2006
Finish Date: April 2009
Duration (in months): 30
Lead Partner (Co-ordinator): Smithers Rapra, UK

Participants

Results – What happened next?

DevulCO2 successfully developed a continuous devulcanisation system for the production of devulcanised rubber from waste tyres.

Following the success of DevulCO2, funding has been secured for a follow-on project called ReMould, which aims to increase the market available to the process by transferring the technology to other waste rubber products (eg. EPDM automotive weatherstrip) and so expand the range of goods that can be manufactured from the devulcanised rubber.