Canada firm advances tire rubber devulcanisation project

Windsor, Ontario – A Canadian polymer product-development laboratory has won a grant for a proof-of-concept project to process end-of-life tires (ELTs) into new engineered rubber products.

Windsor Industrial Development Laboratory (WIDL) was granted the funding by Ontario-based Innovation Guelph, a ‘businesses and community’ hub, established to support circular businesses.

Under the project, Windsor-based WIDL is to develop thermoset rubber products using material derived from the devulcanisation of mesh-10 rubber from truck tire treads.

WIDL's process employs thermo-chemical devulcanisation in scCO2 (supercritical carbon dioxide) within an autoclave to provide the heat required to activate a DPDS (diphenyl disulphide) devulcanising agent.

In developing the technology, WIDL used insert-compression-moulding to produce solid conveyor casters for use in the mining industry.

The Ontario company next aims to undertake a second set of trials specifically for the production of vibration mounts for electric vehicle batteries.

WIDL is now considering establishing a pilot plant to accelerate the journey towards a ‘true circular tire economy’, according to project leader Dr Ben Chouhaoui.

Talks, he said, are underway with the Centrepolis Accelerator of Lawrence Technological University in Southfield Michigan to establish an operation in the state in 2023.

At full capacity, the plant will be able to process 10,000 tonnes of waste tires a year, and manufacture 1,000 tonnes of recycled rubber products monthly.

As part of that project, Chouchaoui said WIDL had secured a tire-waste stream in Michigan that is currently being landfilled or incinerated.