UK-French partnership to study rCB production for new tires

London – UK waste tire recycler and processor Murfitts Industries and French technology company ETIA are to form a partnership to deliver a commercial-scale, post-consumer tire recycling project.

The proposed joint venture builds on an existing partnership between the parties and will aim to tap into ETIA’s pyrolysis technology for end-of-life tires (ELTs) to provide recovered carbon black (rCB).

In a 4 Jan written statement to ERJ, Murfitts said the aim of the project is to develop “a modularised and scalable solution” which can be tailored for markets around the world.

The individual plants, added the company, can be configured to process from 20 kilotones per annum (ktpa) to in excess of 200ktpa of ELTs.

While the concept could be implemented across the globe, the partnership currently anticipates that the first plants will be sited in the UK.

“We are aiming to have [planning] applications for up to three initial plants submitted in the first half of this year,” stated Murfitts, which is headquartered in Lakenheath, Suffolk.

Once approved, the partners anticipate that they will be operating at a commercial scale within a further 12 months.

Murfitts said it has carried out extensive trials with ETIA’s technology and had “proven that the process consistently produces rBC that exceeds the properties of the virgin materials it replaces.”

“Murfitts has tested various formulations to meet a range of exact specifications, with a particular focus on feeding the rCB back into the manufacturing of new tires, thus completing a circular production process,” it added.

In addition to the rCB, the pyrolysis process recovers pyrolysis oil and syngas which can be used as a low-carbon fuel.

The partnership is backed by Murfitt’s parent company European Tyre Enterprise Ltd (ETEL) and ETIA’s Norwegian parent Vow ASA.

Presently, Murfitts collects ELTs from its ETEL sister companies Kwik Fit and Stapleton’s, as well as other tire retailers.

Overall, the company claims to recover and process a total of around 20 million waste tires annually.

The new project "is a major milestone in delivering a commercially viable materials recovery solutions in the tire sector,” said Mark Murfitt, managing director.

“With the backing of ETEL and Vow, we believe the new company could be rapidly scaled internationally and make a significant difference in reprocessing ELTs around the world.”