Vehicle Tire Recycling: Elastomer-Reinforcement Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods cannot reliably separate elastomer material from embedded reinforcements in vehicle tires, making it difficult to recycle these materials effectively and maintain their quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mechanical pre-shredding of vehicle tires followed by separation of elastomer materials from reinforcements, allowing for classification into high-purity fractions using techniques like fine comminution, solvent dissolution, or gravity/centrifugal separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If mechanical pre-shredding is applied to vehicle tires, then the tires are reduced to manageable size for processing, but the elastomer material and reinforcements remain mixed and difficult to separate
Solution Approach 1:
The tire recycling process is divided into distinct stages: mechanical pre-shredding to reduce size, followed by fine comminution to separate elastomer from reinforcements. This multi-stage segmentation allows each process to optimize for its specific function, achieving both size reduction and material separation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces purely mechanical separation methods with a combination of fine comminution and physical separation techniques (gravity and centrifugal force), substituting direct mechanical force with field-based separation to achieve better material differentiation
2Manufacturing precision
If fine comminution is used to separate elastomer from reinforcements, then separation efficiency increases, but energy consumption and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Mechanical pre-shredding is performed as a preliminary action before fine comminution, reducing the tire pieces to manageable sizes first. This preliminary size reduction makes the subsequent fine comminution and separation processes more efficient and less energy-intensive
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic separation methods including centrifugal force and gravity separation, which allow materials to be separated based on their physical properties during motion, enabling faster and more energy-efficient separation compared to static mechanical methods
3Manufacturing precision
If gravity and centrifugal force separation is applied, then high-purity fractions are achieved, but additional equipment and process complexity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses gravity and centrifugal force as intermediary physical fields to separate materials. These natural forces act as mediators that differentiate elastomer from reinforcements based on density without requiring complex chemical or mechanical intervention, simplifying the overall separation system
4Manufacturing precision
If solvents or heat are used to separate thermoplastic elastomers from reinforcements, then separation effectiveness improves, but environmental impact and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes changes in physical parameters (temperature, phase) of thermoplastic elastomers to achieve separation. By heating the material to its melting point or changing its phase, the elastomer becomes separable from reinforcements without requiring harmful solvents, reducing environmental impact while maintaining separation effectiveness
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable separation of elastomer materials and reinforcements without excessive degradation, allowing for their reuse in sustainable production processes and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
a further proposal of the invention allows these to be separated in a magnetic separator before or after the reinforcements are removed
Implementation Method 2
These can then be divided into separate fractions for separate further processing using gravity and/or centrifugal force separation
Implementation Method 3
These can then be divided into separate fractions for separate further processing using gravity and/or centrifugal force separation
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for processing vehicle tires which are formed at least from elastomer material with embedded reinforcements, comprising the steps of providing the vehicle tires to be processed, separating the reinforcements from the elastomer material by mechanically crushing the vehicle tires to particle sizes of 1 to 3 mm and subsequently classifying them using gravity and/or centrifugal force separation to separate them into separate fractions of the elastomer material and the reinforcements.