Recycling waste tires into rubber crumbs has become a standard practice in many parts of the world. In the United States, recycling currently accounts for more than half of all used tires, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association. More facilities are conducting tire recycling in Colorado Springs, CO.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment governs these facilities. Tire recycling, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, reduces pollution, helps extend the life of landfills, and generates new jobs.
Read further to learn about tire recycling, its process, and its procedure in colorado.
What is tire recycling?
Tire recycling is turning old, unwanted tires into material that can be used to create fuel or new products. Tire recycling techniques include the use of pyrolysis. The tires are heated in an oxygen-free environment to gasify the rubber hydrocarbons in this procedure.
This gas can then be used to produce electricity or put through a process known as catalytic cracking to turn it into synthetic crude oil. However, alternative techniques are also used, such as gasification and devulcanization.
Process of tire recycling
Collection of waste
The process of recycling tires begins with the collection of used tires. A system must be in place to gather the tires from various locations. They are taken to a processing plant after being collected and compiled differently by individuals and companies.
The curbside collection is the most popular technique. Waste tires are placed at the curbside for pickup by a waste tire hauler during curbside collection. SUVs, light vehicles, and passenger cars produce the majority of tires. Nearly one billion trash tires have accumulated in the United States due to the annual replacement of 290 million tires.
Shredding
In this step, tires are cut into small pieces to reduce the size for easy handling. Exclusive tire shredders with rotating shafts are used widely to cut them into 2-inch lengths. It results in the raw materials used in fuel being converted into energy. This tire processing happens in two common forms: mechanical and cryogenic systems.
These automation systems scrap tires into minor chips at the right temperature. With the help of a granulator with screens, its size and shape can be monitored. Liquid nitrogen is used to make it easy and then transform it into hammer mills and make it brittle into tiny particles.
Steel liberation
The tire processing step, known as “steel liberation,” involves removing the steel from the tire. This procedure is significant because, unlike the tire, steel can be recycled. The tire is first reduced to tiny fragments by a machine before the steel is freed.
After the tire has been crushed, the steel and rubber are separated using a magnetic field. Several techniques, such as shredding, grinding, and pulverizing, are used to accomplish this. The most popular method is shredding, smashing the tires into tiny pieces with a vast machine. The other two techniques are utilized sporadically and only in unique circumstances.
Screening stage
It is one of the most critical stages in tire recycling. In this stage, the shredded rubber is carefully observed for the presence of wire or other metal debris. Large wireless tires are sorted according to their size in this stage. Also, another unwanted waste is eliminated in this stage.
Cleaning and packaging
During this stage, the rubbers are cleaned thoroughly. Water and relevant cleaning agents are used. Soon after cleaning, rubbers are dried and packed to be delivered to the factories for other products production.
Thus, these are the critical stages followed in the units of tire recycling in Colorado Springs, CO. Colorado’s respective officials have started following strict procedures to avoid environmental issues. Also, it is a very successful business now. So, if you piled up tires, not knowing what to do, recycle them to help yourself and the environment.