Method of recycling used tire, method of manufacturing pyrolysate, pyrolysate, method of manufacturing rubber product, rubber product, method of manufacturing tire, and tire

Abstract

This method of recycling a used tire includes a collection step (S1) for collecting a used tire, a data acquisition step (S2) for acquiring used tire data about at least one of a specification and a component of the used tire according to information read from the used tire, a classification step (S3) for classifying the used tire as a group according to the used tire data, and a recycling process step (S4) for performing a recycling process on the classified used tire at an appropriate condition for each group.

Description

Method for recycling used tires, method for producing pyrolysis products, pyrolysis products, method for producing rubber products, rubber products, method for producing tires, tires

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for recycling used tires, a method for producing a pyrolysis product, a pyrolysis product, a method for producing a rubber product, a rubber product, a tire manufacturing method, and a tire.

[0002] Conventionally, recycling has been carried out by pyrolyzing organic waste and extracting pyrolysis products from the resulting oil for reuse. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pyrolysis oilification processing system that separates first petroleum products and obtains high-quality recycled oil by controlling the temperature directly above a liquefied component collection means.

[0003] JP 2014-240460 A

[0004] Used tires are generally difficult to recycle because they are made up of composite materials. While used tires are sometimes sorted by size based on the maximum size that recycling facilities can handle, traditionally, used tires have rarely been sorted by any other criteria. As a result, used tires containing various components are recycled together, resulting in variations in the quality of the resulting pyrolysis products. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the quality of recycled products, such as tires, that use pyrolysis products obtained through recycling as raw materials. Furthermore, processing is sometimes required to ensure consistent quality of the pyrolysis products, which also poses an issue of low recycling efficiency.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for recycling used tires, a method for manufacturing pyrolysis products, a method for manufacturing pyrolysis products and rubber products, a rubber product, a method for manufacturing tires, and tires, which can improve the quality of products and recycling efficiency in recycling.

[0006] (1) A method for recycling used tires according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a collection step of collecting used tires; a data acquisition step of acquiring used tire data relating to at least one of the specifications and components of the used tires based on information read from the used tires; a classification step of classifying the used tires into groups based on the used tire data; and a recycling processing step of carrying out a recycling process on the classified used tires under appropriate conditions for each group.

[0007] (2) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1), in the data acquisition step, the information read from the used tire includes an identification number of the used tire, and the used tire data is acquired by accessing via a network a database in which the identification number and the used tire data are associated.

[0008] (3) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1) or (2), the used tire data includes at least one of data on the category, type, size, rubber physical properties, manufacturer, and manufacturing date of the used tire, and the classification step classifies the used tire based on at least one of data on the category, type, size, rubber physical properties, manufacturer, and manufacturing date of the used tire.

[0009] (4) As one embodiment of the present disclosure, in (1) or (2), the used tire data includes data on components of at least one of polymers, fillers, and sulfur in the used tires, and the classification step classifies the used tires based on the data on components of at least one of polymers, fillers, and sulfur in the used tires.

[0010] (5) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (4), the used tire data includes data on the structure of components of the used tire.

[0011] (6) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (5), in the classification step, several stages of grouping are performed based on the rubber compound of the tread or the wear state of the used tires.

[0012] (7) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (6), in the classifying step, the used tires are grouped based on the blending contents or reduction levels of oil, antioxidant, wax, and adhesive material contained in the used tires.

[0013] (8) As an embodiment of the present disclosure, in any one of (1) to (7), the used tire data includes material information indicating a fiber type of the organic fiber.

[0014] (9) A method for producing pyrolysis products according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a collection step of collecting used tires; a data acquisition step of acquiring used tire data relating to at least one of the specifications and components of the used tires based on information read from the used tires; a classification step of classifying the used tires into groups based on the used tire data; a recycling step of performing a recycling process, which is pyrolysis, on the classified used tires under appropriate conditions for each group; and an extraction step of extracting pyrolysis products produced by the pyrolysis.

[0015] (10) A pyrolysis product according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is produced by the method for producing a pyrolysis product described in (9).

[0016] (11) A method for producing a rubber product according to one embodiment of the present disclosure produces a rubber product by using a pyrolysis product produced by the method for producing a pyrolysis product according to (9) as part of a raw material.

[0017] (12) A rubber product according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is manufactured by the method for manufacturing a rubber product according to (11).

[0018] (13) A tire manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes manufacturing a tire using a pyrolysis product manufactured by the method for manufacturing a pyrolysis product according to (9) as part of a raw material.

[0019] (14) A tire according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is manufactured by the tire manufacturing method described in (13).

[0020] (15) A method for recycling used tires according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a collection step of collecting used tires; a data acquisition step of acquiring used tire data relating to at least one of the specifications and components of the used tires based on information read from the used tires; a step of disassembling the used tires into their constituent parts; a classification step of classifying the constituent parts of the used tires into groups based on the used tire data; and a recycling processing step of carrying out a recycling process for the classified constituent parts of the used tires under appropriate conditions for each group.

[0021] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a method for recycling used tires, a method for manufacturing pyrolysis products, a method for manufacturing pyrolysis products, a rubber product, a rubber product, a tire manufacturing method, and a tire, which can improve the quality of products and recycling efficiency in recycling.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recycling system that executes a used tire recycling method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is another diagram showing the example of the configuration of the recycling system of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating first used tire data. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating second used tire data. Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of a used tire recycling method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Hereinafter, a method for recycling used tires, a method for manufacturing pyrolysis products, a method for manufacturing pyrolysis products, a rubber product, a rubber product, a tire, and a tire according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of identical or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0024] 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example configuration of a recycling system 1 that executes a used tire recycling method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The recycling system 1 includes an information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 is a device that is installed in, for example, a recycling facility and controls the recycling facility. FIG. 1 is a block diagram including an example internal configuration of the information processing device 10. FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the recycling system 1.

[0025] In the recycling system 1, tires 30 are recycled. The tires 30 to be recycled are used tires, including, for example, waste tires generated through tire changes, scrapping, etc., and end-of-life tires (ELTs) that have reached the end of their service life. In this embodiment, the tires 30 are for vehicles such as passenger cars, trucks, and buses, but may also be for aircraft, mining, or agricultural use, and are not limited by type. When used tires 30 are pyrolyzed in a pyrolysis furnace, gas, oil, carbon black, wire, ash, and the like are produced. In this embodiment, the oil produced is described as the pyrolysis product 82. However, the pyrolysis product 82 is not limited to oil and may be, for example, carbon black. The extracted pyrolysis product 82 is processed into a state that can be used as a raw material as needed, and is recycled by being used as part of the raw material for the tire 30 at the tire 30 factory. Here, the extracted pyrolysis product 82 and its processed products may be used as part of the raw material for rubber products at factories for rubber products other than the tire 30. Oil extracted by pyrolysis of used tires has components (for example, sulfur content [wt %]) that correspond to the used tires. In order to maintain the quality of the tires 30 or rubber products made from the pyrolysis products 82, it is important to suppress the variation in the quality of the pyrolysis products 82.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , the information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The control unit 13 includes a data acquisition unit 131, a classification unit 132, and an output unit 133. The information processing device 10 may be, for example, a computer in its hardware configuration. Details of the components of the information processing device 10 will be described later. Here, the recycling facility in which the information processing device 10 is installed is not limited to a facility in which all processes up to pyrolysis are performed in one location. For example, the facility for sorting used tires and the facility for pyrolysis, which will be described later, may be performed in different locations or by different operators. When the recycling facility is composed of multiple facilities, the information processing device 10 may not be a single device, but may be composed of multiple devices located in each facility and capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from each other via a network 40. The information processing device 10 may be, for example, a single computer or multiple computers connected via a network 40. When composed of multiple computers, the storage unit 12 may be a shared memory accessible by each computer.

[0027] The information processing device 10 may constitute a recycling system 1 together with a server 60 connected via a network 40. The network 40 may be, for example, the Internet. The network 40 may also be configured to include, for example, a local area network (LAN) in part. The recycling system 1 may also be configured to include a reading unit 70 and recycling equipment connected to the information processing device 10.

[0028] The server 60 is, for example, a computer separate from the information processing device 10. In this embodiment, the server 60 is a computer of the tire 30 manufacturer, and stores and manages information about the manufactured tires 30 in a database. The information processing device 10 can access the database via the network 40. For appropriate recycling, the information processing device 10 acquires used tire data related to at least one of the specifications and components of used tires 30 (used tires) from the database. Conventionally, information about tires 30 has only been used at the manufacturing site (factory) and has rarely been used in recycling. In this embodiment, a system such as that shown in FIG. 2 is configured, and the information processing device 10 uses used tire data to enable classification, etc., in recycling, as described below.

[0029] The reading unit 70 is, for example, a general-purpose mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, but is not limited to such a mobile terminal as long as it is a device with an imaging function. As another example, the reading unit 70 may be an imaging device such as a camera. The reading unit 70 may be used by a manager or operator of the recycling facility.

[0030] In this embodiment, the tire 30 is provided with an indicator 31 including an identifier 32. The indicator 31 may be attached to the tire 30 by gluing, printing, or kneading into the rubber. The reading unit 70 may capture an image of the identifier 32 attached to the tire 30 using an imaging function and output the image of the identifier 32 to the information processing device 10. The control unit 13 of the information processing device 10 may identify information such as an identification number or model number individually attached to the tire 30 based on the identifier 32. The imaging function is realized, for example, by a camera provided in the reading unit 70. The identifier 32 is, for example, a two-dimensional barcode, but is not limited to this. The identifier 32 may be, for example, a barcode, a marker showing a specific color, a serial code, or the like. The identification number may be configured to include not only numbers but also letters, symbols, and the like. The identifier 32 is not limited to a dedicated identifier, and may be, for example, a product name, manufacturer name, various symbols, etc., displayed on the side of the tire, etc. Markers that exhibit specific colors are not limited to those that can be distinguished by the human eye, but also include those that are blended in extremely small amounts that can be detected by a device and those that are in the invisible light range.

[0031] Here, the recycling system 1 is not limited to a configuration including the indicator 31 and the reading unit 70 with an imaging function. As another example, the recycling system 1 may be configured to include an RFID tag and a reading unit 70 that reads radio waves from the RFID tag. In this case, the control unit 13 may acquire information such as the tire number and model number of the tire 30 from the reading unit 70. As another example, the recycling system 1 may be configured to include a marker substance compounded in the rubber and a reading unit 70 that detects the marker substance. Here, the marker substance is a substance that serves as an identifier to distinguish a specific rubber from other rubbers.

[0032] The components of the information processing device 10 will be described in detail below. The communication unit 11 is configured to include one or more communication modules connected to the network 40. The communication unit 11 may include a communication module compatible with a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 11 may include a communication module compatible with a wireless LAN standard (IEEE 802.11 as an example). The communication unit 11 may also include a communication module compatible with a wired LAN standard.

[0033] The storage unit 12 is one or more memories. The memory may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or the like, but is not limited to these, and may be any memory. The storage unit 12 is, for example, built into the information processing device 10, but may also be configured to be accessed from outside by the information processing device 10 via any interface.

[0034] The storage unit 12 stores various data used in various calculations performed by the control unit 13. The storage unit 12 may also store results and intermediate data of various calculations performed by the control unit 13.

[0035] The memory unit 12 may also store used tire data acquired via the communication unit 11. As described above, the used tire data includes data regarding at least one of the specifications and components of used tires. The used tire data is referenced to classify and recycle used tires 30. The used tire data stored in the memory unit 12 may be updated based on the tire manufacturer's database, for example, periodically or upon startup of the recycling facility. The component information of used tires may be obtained from product information in a new state, or may be estimated based on the condition of the used tire or corrected product information in a new state. For example, the identification number or model number of the tire 30 may be identified based on the identifier 32, and product information managed according to the identification number or model number may be acquired. Furthermore, for example, if a used tire is worn, a correction may be made to the product information in a new state by subtracting a portion of the tread rubber compound or compound from the product information in a new state depending on the state of wear.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of first used tire data. The first used tire data mainly includes data on the specifications of used tires. In the example of FIG. 3, the first used tire data is a table in which identification numbers individually assigned to used tires are associated with specifications such as the model number of the used tire. The first used tire data may also include at least one of the following data: the category, type, size, rubber physical properties, manufacturer, and manufacturing date of the used tire. The category of used tires may be classified by vehicle type, such as PSR (radial tires for passenger cars) or TBR (radial tires for trucks and buses). The type of used tire may be classified by function, such as studless, run-flat, or summer. The size of used tires may be numerical specifications such as width, aspect ratio, and rim diameter. The rubber physical properties of used tires may be numerical values ​​indicating performance such as the coefficient of rolling resistance and modulus of elasticity. The manufacturer of used tires may be, for example, the name of the manufacturer. The manufacturing date of used tires may be information such as the year and month of manufacturing. The first used tire data may be part of data managed by the manufacturer of the used tire 30 and stored in a database. The information processing device 10 may access the database via the network 40, acquire the first used tire data, and store it in the storage unit 12. Here, the first used tire data may further include data on the structure of components of the used tire. The data on the structure of components may be data on the arrangement, shape, size, hardness, etc. of each component, such as the tread and sidewall. The data on the structure of components may include, for example, drawings or images showing cross sections.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating second used tire data. The second used tire data mainly includes data on the components of used tires. In the example of FIG. 4, the second used tire data is a table in which information on the composition of each component of the used tire, such as the model number and manufacturing date, is associated with information on the components, such as the blending ratio and polymer molecular weight, of each component of the used tire. The second used tire data may include data on at least one of the components of the used tire, such as polymer, filler, and sulfur. The data on the polymer components of the used tire may include, for example, information on molecular weight and whether or not butyl rubber is included. Here, fillers are compounded to reinforce the rubber composition, and examples thereof include carbon black. In addition to carbon black, inorganic fillers such as silica, clay, talc, calcium carbonate, and aluminum hydroxide may also be included. The data on the filler components of the used tire may include, for example, information on whether or not silica is included, the grade of carbon black, and so on. The grade of carbon black may be classified as, for example, SAF (Super Abrasion Furnace, ultra-abrasion resistant) or ISAF (Intermediate SAF, semi-ultra-abrasion resistant). Data regarding the sulfur component of used tires may be, for example, a numerical value such as the compounding amount (content). The second used tire data may be part of data managed by the manufacturer of the used tire 30 and accumulated in a database. The information processing device 10 may access the database via the network 40, acquire the second used tire data, and store it in the memory unit 12. Here, the second used tire data may further include data on polymers, fillers, compounds other than sulfur, and regulated substances.

[0038] As described above, the second used tire data is a table in which information on the components of used tires is associated with part of the specifications of used tires. Therefore, the first used tire data and the second used tire data can be associated through the common used tire specifications. In this embodiment, the used tire data is managed as two tables, but they may also be integrated and managed as a single table. Also, in this embodiment, the used tire data is stored in the storage unit 12 by the information processing device 10. As another management example, the used tire data may be managed in a distributed manner. For example, the used tire data may be stored and managed using blockchain technology.

[0039] The control unit 13 is one or more processors. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these and may be any processor. The control unit 13 controls the overall operation of the information processing device 10. The control unit 13 also controls the recycling process at the recycling facility where the information processing device 10 is installed.

[0040] Referring again to FIG. 2 , the recycling facility is provided with a collection unit 80 used to collect used tires. The collection unit 80 is a device controlled by the information processing device 10 and different from the information processing device 10, and may include, for example, a robot hand. In this embodiment, the recycling facility is also provided with a sorting device 81 used to classify used tires into groups. The sorting device 81 is a device controlled by the information processing device 10 and different from the information processing device 10, and may include, for example, a belt conveyor. In the example of FIG. 2 , three groups, G1 to G3, are shown, but the number of groups is not limited to three. In this embodiment, the recycling facility is also provided with a recycling processing unit that performs recycling processing according to conditions for each group. The recycling processing unit is a device controlled by the information processing device 10 and different from the information processing device 10, and may be, for example, a pyrolysis processing device. In this embodiment, the information processing device 10 controls the collection unit 80, the sorting device 81, and the recycling processing unit, thereby controlling the recycling processing in the recycling facility.

[0041] The information processing device 10 may have the following software configuration: One or more programs used to control the operation of the information processing device 10 are stored in the storage unit 12. When the programs stored in the storage unit 12 are read by the processor of the control unit 13, they cause the processor to function as a data acquisition unit 131, a classification unit 132, and an output unit 133.

[0042] The data acquisition unit 131 acquires used tire data related to at least one of the specifications and components of the used tire based on information read from the used tire. In this embodiment, the information read from the used tire includes the identification number of the used tire. The data acquisition unit 131 may acquire the used tire data from the storage unit 12 if the identification number of the target used tire is included in the used tire data already stored in the storage unit 12. If the identification number of the target used tire is not included in the used tire data in the storage unit 12, the data acquisition unit 131 may acquire the used tire data by accessing a database in which identification numbers are associated with used tire data via the network 40. In other words, the recycling facility does not need to own all used tire data. Instead, by using a database managed by the tire manufacturer 30, it is possible to accurately classify used tires as described below and perform appropriate recycling.

[0043] The classification unit 132 classifies used tires into groups based on the used tire data acquired by the data acquisition unit 131. A group is a collection of used tires that are similar in terms of the components they contain. The used tires are classified into groups to reduce variations in quality of the product (pyrolysis product 82 in this embodiment) generated by the recycling process (pyrolysis in this embodiment) and to achieve a desired quality.

[0044] The classification unit 132 may classify used tires based on specification data included in the used tire data. For example, using the first used tire data, the classification unit 132 may classify used tires based on at least one of the category, type, size, rubber properties, manufacturer, and manufacturing date of the used tires. In this case, by distinguishing the used tires as tires 30, the used tires can be indirectly classified by component. For example, tires 30 of a specific type manufactured by the same manufacturer are considered to have similar components. Therefore, grouping used tires by manufacturer and type can suppress variation in the quality of the pyrolysis products 82. Furthermore, tires 30 manufactured at the same or similar times are considered to have similar components. Therefore, grouping used tires by manufacturer, type, and manufacturing date can further suppress variation in the quality of the pyrolysis products 82. For example, even if data on components (corresponding to the second used tire data) is not provided by the manufacturer of the tires 30, the classification unit 132 may classify used tires based on specification data included in the used tire data.

[0045] The classification unit 132 may classify used tires based on component data included in the used tire data. For example, using the second used tire data, the classification unit 132 may classify used tires based on data related to at least one of the components of the used tires, including polymers, fillers, and sulfur. In this case, used tires can be directly classified by component. Therefore, compared to indirect classification, the effect of suppressing variation in the quality of the pyrolysis products 82 can be improved.

[0046] Furthermore, when the used tire data includes data on the structure of the components of the used tires, the classification unit 132 can also separate the used tires into their components and then group them. In this case, a used tire made of composite materials can be easily disassembled into its individual components based on the data on the structure of the components of the used tires. By separating the used tires into their individual components and then grouping them, it is possible to enhance the effect of suppressing variations in the quality of the pyrolysis products 82. In this embodiment, classifying into groups includes not only grouping the used tires themselves, but also disassembling the used tires into their individual components and then grouping them by component.

[0047] The output unit 133 may output information such as the groups into which the used tires have been classified by the sorting unit 132 to a display device or the like so that a manager or operator of the recycling facility can understand the information. The display device may be, for example, a display included in the reading unit 70. The display device may also include a display connected to the information processing device 10.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the process of the used tire recycling method according to this embodiment, which is executed by the recycling system 1.

[0049] Used tires are collected by the collection unit 80 (step S1, collection step). The identifiers 32 of the collected used tires are read by the reading unit 70. In this embodiment, the information read from the used tires includes the identification numbers of the collected used tires (i.e., the used tires to be processed).

[0050] Based on the information read from the used tire, the data acquisition unit 131 acquires used tire data from the manufacturer's database via the storage unit 12 or the network 40 as described above (step S2, data acquisition step).

[0051] The sorting unit 132 sorts the used tires into groups based on the used tire data (step S3, sorting step). The control unit 13 may control the sorting device 81 so that the used tires are transported to the recycling processing unit of the assigned group. The sorted used tires or components may be processed, such as cut or crushed, as needed, before being transported to the recycling processing unit.

[0052] The recycling processing unit recycles the classified used tires or components under appropriate conditions for each group (step S4, recycling processing step). Here, the recycling processing conditions refer to, for example, the operating conditions of the pyrolysis processing device. For example, the temperature setting and processing time of the pyrolysis processing device vary depending on the group. In this way, the used tires or components are divided into groups, and the recycling processing is performed for each group under appropriate conditions, resulting in pyrolysis products 82 for each group. Because the pyrolysis products 82 for each group are generated from used tires containing similar components, they are products of the desired quality with little variation. Here, the appropriate conditions refer to operating conditions, such as temperature setting and processing time, that are determined for each group and adjusted to improve the efficiency of the recycling processing. Therefore, although the appropriate conditions generally differ for each group, it is acceptable for the same conditions to ultimately be used for different groups.

[0053] Here, the used tire recycling method in FIG. 5 constitutes a method for manufacturing a pyrolysis product by including a recycling process of pyrolysis and an extraction step of extracting a pyrolysis product 82 produced by the pyrolysis. This method for manufacturing a pyrolysis product produces a high-quality pyrolysis product. Furthermore, the pyrolysis product 82 produced by this method for manufacturing a pyrolysis product or a processed product thereof can be used as part of the raw materials to manufacture a high-quality tire 30 or rubber product. In other words, this method for manufacturing a pyrolysis product and the step of manufacturing the tire 30 or rubber product constitute a method for manufacturing a tire 30 or rubber product. Here, the tire 30 may be a newly manufactured tire or a retreaded tire. In other words, the method for manufacturing a tire 30 includes a method for manufacturing a retreaded tire.

[0054] As described above, the recycling method for used tires according to this embodiment can improve the quality and recycling efficiency of the recycled products by appropriately classifying the components. Furthermore, this recycling method can be used to provide a method for manufacturing a pyrolysis product, a method for manufacturing a rubber product, and a method for manufacturing a tire, which can produce high-quality raw materials (pyrolysis products 82) or products. The pyrolysis products, rubber products, and tires manufactured by these methods are of higher quality than conventional products.

[0055] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art would easily be able to make various modifications or alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, functions included in each component may be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components may be combined or divided into one. The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be realized as a method, a program executed by a processor included in an apparatus, or a storage medium on which a program is recorded. It should be understood that these are also included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] For example, to further improve quality, used tires at recycling facilities may be classified into groups based on the composition or reduction level of oil, antioxidant, wax, and adhesive material contained in the used tires. This classification allows for appropriate removal of impurities (e.g., Co, etc.) from carbon black, oil (e.g., terpene oil), antioxidant, etc., obtained by pyrolysis. The composition and reduction level may be estimated based on information from the time of new manufacture of the used tire before disposal (hereinafter referred to as the "original product"). The information from the time of new manufacture may be acquired from a computer or other source of the manufacturer of the original used tire. The information from the time of new manufacture may include, for example, the composition, composition ratio, manufacturing date, and raw material recycling information. Furthermore, the composition and reduction level may be estimated based on information from the time of new manufacture and the information from use obtained from the original product. The composition and reduction level may be estimated by preparing a degradation model based on past performance data in advance and inputting the information from the time of new manufacture into the degradation model. The degradation model may be generated by machine learning, for example.

[0057] Here, the original product needs to be managed individually, particularly to obtain information about the original product at the time of use. For example, if the original product is a tire 30, the indicator 31 identifies information such as an identification number and model number. The recycling system 1 may further include a tire 30 management device (such as a computer connected via the network 40) that manages this information. The tire 30 management device may manage usage information in association with the identification number, model number, etc., in a table or the like. Furthermore, the information processing device 10 may be able to access the table managed by the tire 30 management device. Usage information may include, for example, a driving history, the wear state of the tire 30, and other measurement values ​​input by a worker at a maintenance and inspection site for a vehicle equipped with the original tire 30, and the information may be sent to the tire 30 management device as usage information. Furthermore, if the tire 30 has been retreaded, information such as the number of retreads may be input by the worker and sent to the tire 30 management device as usage information. In the above-described process of grouping used tires, the estimated tire composition and wear level may be corrected (for example, the wear level may be increased) depending on the usage state of the original tire (for example, whether the tire has been retreaded multiple times, whether the tire is heavily worn, etc.). Here, the wear level may be an actual measurement value or a predicted value obtained by a known prediction method based on the driving history or the date of manufacture, etc.

[0058] To further improve quality, used tires may be classified into groups in several stages, particularly based on the tread rubber compound or the state of wear of the used tires. By taking the tread rubber compound into consideration, the influence of silica and other substances contained in the tread on pyrolysis products can be controlled. Furthermore, the state of wear of the used tires is used to correct the product information, as described above. Therefore, the grouping can be performed taking into account the corrected component information of the used tires.

[0059] In addition, while the used tire data has been described as including data on components such as polymers, fillers, and sulfur, it may also include information on the materials of the used tires (material information). The content of the material information may be used to classify the used tires into groups. For example, the material information may indicate, if any of the materials constituting the used tires have been recycled, how many times they have been recycled. The material information may indicate, for example, the type of organic fiber contained. For example, the material information may indicate the type of organic fiber, such as PET, nylon, or aramid. For example, separating aramid, etc., or separating materials containing and not containing nitrogen atoms based on the material information is preferable from the perspective of stabilizing the quality of the oil obtained through recycling. Furthermore, for example, separating materials containing and not containing silica based on the material information is preferable from the perspective of stabilizing the quality of the carbon black obtained through recycling. Furthermore, the material information may include information on the inner liner. In this case, by separating inner liners based on the material information to determine whether they are halogenated butyl rubber (Cl, Br), it is possible to reduce the amount of halogen contained in the butyl rubber obtained through recycling.

[0060] The method for recycling used tires may further include a step of disassembling used tires into their constituent parts, and in the recycling step, the classified constituent parts of the used tires may be recycled under appropriate conditions for each group. Separating used tires into their constituent parts, such as treads, sides, and inner liners, and grouping and recycling them by constituent part enables more efficient recycling. It also makes it possible to improve the quality of the carbon black or oil obtained through recycling. Here, disassembly into constituent parts is not limited to disassembly down to the smallest unit. For example, the tread may be disassembled including the cap rubber, base rubber, and belt (as the tread portion). Disassembly into constituent parts may also include disassembly down to the smallest unit of steel components, as necessary.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 recycling system 10 information processing device 11 communication unit 12 storage unit 13 control unit 30 tire 31 indicator 32 identifier 40 network 60 server 70 reading unit 80 recovery unit 81 classification device 82 pyrolysis products 131 data acquisition unit 132 classification unit 133 output unit

Claims

1. A collection step for collecting used tires, A data acquisition step to acquire used tire data relating to at least one of the specifications and components of the used tire, based on the information read from the used tire; A classification step of classifying the used tires into groups based on the used tire data, A method for recycling used tires, comprising a recycling step of performing a recycling process on the classified used tires under appropriate conditions for each group.

2. The method for recycling used tires according to claim 1, wherein in the data acquisition step, the information read from the used tire includes the identification number of the used tire, and the used tire data is acquired by accessing a database linked to the identification number and the used tire data via a network.

3. The used tire data includes at least one piece of data on the category, type, size, rubber properties, manufacturer, and manufacturing date of the used tire. The method for recycling used tires according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the classification step classifies the used tires based on at least one of the category, type, size, rubber properties, manufacturer, and manufacturing date of the used tires.

4. The used tire data includes data relating to the components of at least one of the polymer, filler, and sulfur of the used tire. The method for recycling used tires according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the classification step classifies the used tires based on data relating to the components of at least one of the polymer, filler, and sulfur of the used tires.

5. The method for recycling used tires according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the used tire data includes data on the structure of the components of the used tire.

6. The method for recycling used tires according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the classification step, several stages of grouping are performed based on the rubber compound of the tread or the wear condition of the used tires.

7. The method for recycling used tires according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the classification step, grouping is performed based on the composition or degree of reduction of oil, anti-aging agents, waxes, and adhesive materials contained in the used tires.

8. The method for recycling used tires according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the used tire data includes material information indicating the type of organic fiber.

9. A collection step for collecting used tires, A data acquisition step to acquire used tire data relating to at least one of the specifications and components of the used tire, based on the information read from the used tire; A classification step of classifying the used tires into groups based on the used tire data, A recycling process step in which, for the classified used tires, a recycling process of thermal decomposition is carried out under appropriate conditions for each group, A method for producing a thermal decomposition product, comprising an extraction step of extracting the thermal decomposition product generated by the thermal decomposition.

10. A thermal decomposition product produced by the method for producing a thermal decomposition product described in claim 9.

11. A method for manufacturing rubber products, comprising using a thermal decomposition product produced by the method for manufacturing thermal decomposition products described in claim 9 as part of the raw materials to manufacture rubber products.

12. A rubber product manufactured by the method for manufacturing a rubber product described in claim 11.

13. A method for manufacturing a tire, comprising using a thermal decomposition product produced by the method for manufacturing a thermal decomposition product described in claim 9 as part of the raw materials.

14. A tire manufactured by the tire manufacturing method described in claim 13.

15. A collection step for collecting used tires, A data acquisition step to acquire used tire data relating to at least one of the specifications and components of the used tire, based on the information read from the used tire; The steps include: disassembling the used tire into its constituent parts, A classification step of classifying the components of the used tire into groups based on the used tire data, A method for recycling used tires, comprising a recycling step of performing a recycling process on the classified components of the used tires under appropriate conditions for each group.