Australians develop tyre sorting, de-vulcanisation process
ERJ staff report (DS)
Geelong Victoria, Australia -- An Australian consortium led by Deakin University's Institute for Technology Research and Innovation has developed a de-vulcanisation and sorting process for rubber tyres. The process is being commercialised by VR Tek Global Pty Ltd.
The process claims to, "makes use of [an] energy-efficient Segmentation technology for end-of-life tyres which initially separates the car tyre into specific segments of known material composition, and then utilises these segments via separate batch processing in our two environmentally sustainable downstream processes."
The resulting segregated crumb can then be either de-vulcanised, or activated to enhance its compatibility with existing rubber compound, said VR TEK. The company described its devulcanisation process thus: "Utilising extrusion-type technology to produce metal-free devulcanised rubber powders of size 15 mesh, 30 mesh, 60 mesh, 80 mesh and 100 mesh".
It described the Activiation process in this way: "Utilising an ozone-based aggressive medium technology to produce metal-free activated rubber powders with resultant carboxyl based functional groups which enables the rubber powders be utilised an ingredients for the manufacture of high-quality, high-value elasto-polymer and thermoplastic composite materials."
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Home page of VR TEK
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Health Canal (Australia)
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