The other significant area of Tirec Ltd’s business is the production of rubber crumb.
European tyres generally consist of:
| Natural and synthetic rubber, fillers and additives | 65% to 75% |
| Metal | 20% to 30% |
| Textiles | 0% to 5% |
Source: PAS 107:2007
Crumb rubber is derived from processing whole end of life vehicle tyres. The recycling process removes fibrous materials and steel, the latter being recycled for further use, which leaves rubber tyre granules.
Tirec uses an ambient process to grind tyres, with feedstock remaining around room temperature as it enters the process train for granulation.
We use a multi-step process which features a series of machines, starting with a pre-grinder which turns whole tyres into rough shred containing steel and textile strands. This material is then fed into a grinding machine which further reduces the rough shred into granules. These granules then travel by conveyor through a series of over band magnets and shaker beds, which remove the steel and fibre content from the rubber material.
The primary markets for rubber crumb are:
- TDF – tyre derived fuel
- Equestrian services or ménage
- Additive to cement production
- Construction
- Civil engineering
- Reconstituted rubber products.