Murfitts Industries, the UK’s largest tire recycler, and tire giant Michelin have jointly announced a waste tire disposal and pyrolysis plant project. The tire pyrolysis plant focuses on recovering energy and materials from waste tires.
Murfitts plans to invest £14 million to build a waste tire recycling and pyrolysis facility at Michelin’s tire retreading plant in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. The tire recycling pyrolysis plant is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026.
Murfitts primarily uses pyrolysis technology to generate energy from waste tires. This energy will be used to power production at the Michelin tire plant, which is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 1,500 tons annually.
In addition to energy recovery, the waste tire disposal pyrolysis process also produces recovered carbon black (rCB) and tire pyrolysis oil (TPO).
The pyrolysis plant recovers raw materials through pyrolysis technology, treating waste tires by thermal decomposition in an oxygen-free environment. The recovered carbon black can be used in a wide range of products, including new tires. The tire pyrolysis oil can be used in other materials and as an alternative fuel.
Furthermore, this waste tire pyrolysis process produces syngas, which can be directly supplied to tire factories. This syngas can replace the natural gas produced by tire production, thereby reducing tire production’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Pyrolysis plant will represent a breakthrough in the tire lifecycle. They can recover energy and pyrolysis products from tires, feeding them directly back to tire manufacturers for use in the production of new tires.
Tire pyrolysis plants for waste wite disposal are a win-win for the tire industry, local governments, the national economy, and the environment.
Driven by stricter environmental policies and growing demand for resource recycling, waste tire pyrolysis technology is maturing. This technology can convert waste tires into high-value products such as pyrolysis oil and recycled carbon black, achieving efficient resource recycling.
A complete waste tire disposal system can achieve near-complete recovery of the rubber, steel wire, and fiber contained in tires.
