Welsh uni professor derives oil from tyres

ERJ staff report (SS) Bangor, Wales -- A professor from Bangor University's school of chemistry and Welsh Company UTD Research Ltd have designed a process to turn second-hand tyres into oil.

While carbon black, oil and gas have been produced from used tyres in different laboratories worldwide, UTD Research and Dr Vera Thoss, an environmental chemist from the University, were the first to successfully scale up the process using UTDs patented state-of-the-art technology.

Due to its high calorific value, the refined tyre derived oil was mixed one-to-one with diesel and used successfully to fuel a car.

“The results are very encouraging…” Thoss said, in a 20 Dec statement. “We tested the fuel at the Anglesey Circuit recently and found that the fuel significantly enhanced the performance of the trial car,” she added.

The carbon black produced using the process can be used for printer inks, pigment, fillers and active charcoal and the gas produced is estimated to be able to provide the energy for the entire process; “this therefore really is “true recycling,” said Thoss.

Bangor University and UTD Research will work together to market and provide the technology worldwide, according to the statement.