Optimisation of scrap automotive tyres recycling into valuable liquid fuels

The recycling of rubber from old tyres by batch hydrogenation has been perf ormed using tubing bomb reactors. Important process variables like temperat ure, reaction time, initial hydrogen pressure and nature of gas used have b een studied. In all the runs the maximum total conversion was achieved. Con version products are comprised of oils and gases, being the asphaltene yiel d lower than 1% in all conditions tested. The most valuable conversion prod ucts, oils, have been systematically analysed by TLC-FID (1) and the influe nce of the process variables in oils composition has been assessed. From th e obtained results, it can be deduced that the conversion of rubber in oils is a fast thermal process, which is neither affected by initial pressure n or the nature of gas used. But on the other hand, the nature of obtained oi ls and gases is a function of process variables. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.