More Efficient Pyrolysis System Proposed

US recycling company EarthFirst has released details of how its pyrolysis technology can extract more of the valuable raw materials from tyres, using less energy. Unlike traditional pyrolysis, which burns tyres at very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, EarthFirst’s system heats used tyres in a vacuum releasing the same range of valuable products including: steel, carbon, oil and a high energy gas.

EarthFirst claims its system only needs to heat the tyres to a third of the typical pyrolysis temperature, preserving tyre components and satisfying even the strictest emissions regulations. Remarkably, the company claims the process can recover the following from each typical passenger tyre: eight pounds of carbon, one gallon of oil, two pounds of steel and 30 cubic feet of combustible gas.