Recycled rubber can be incorporated into truck retreads

Archiv – New Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) funded research has demonstrated that crumb rubber from waste tyres can be successfully incorporated into retread compounds for road truck and earthmover tyres at much higher inclusion rates than was previously understood to be viable.United Kingdom | New Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) funded research has demonstrated that crumb rubber from waste tyres can be successfully incorporated into retread compounds for road truck and earthmover tyres at much higher inclusion rates than was previously understood to be viable.
The UK research indicates that with crumb rubber incorporated at levels of up to 40%, the tyres suffers no reduction in durability or performance when compared to the industry standard. In some cases the new compounds even showed an improvement in performance when compared to the control materials ‘€’ they cured 20% quicker and proved more durable.
Re-treading is considered to be one of the more preferable and effective methods of re-using worn tyres as the process effectively doubles the life of a tyre; reducing the numbers of new tyres needed and minimising waste.
The study – Using waste tyre rubber in retreads at high inclusion rates – trialled both truck tyres that were fitted to dual-drive axle tipper lorries and earthmover tyres, with a diameter of 1.6 metres, that were fitted to dump trucks. The report details how the process of surface polymerisation enables high rates of rubber from waste tyres to be successfully included in retread compounds – a process which had not been thought possible until now.
Steve Waite, Project Manager for Tyres at WRAP, says: ’This study provides reassurance for users that high percentages of rubber crumb can successfully be incorporated into retread compounds for truck and earthmover tyres without compromising the tyres’ performance. It is especially encouraging that some of the new compounds produced during this trial have been shown to offer benefits over the original compound.’
Mark Stevenson, Business Manager of Rubber Recovery Ltd and the author of the report, adds: ‘€˜The results of this study overshadow those of all other similar trials to date. It is hoped this technology will now help the rubber and tyre manufacturing industry realise the potential for recycled rubber in their products.’€™