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From Waste to Fuel: How Scrap Tires are Revolutionizing Industrial Energy Supply

Every year, Germany alone generates over half a million tons of scrap tires. For a long time, incineration in cement plants or processing into rubber granules for flooring was the standard. But what if tires could be dismantled back into their original, energy-rich components to replace fossil fuels like natural gas in industry? An innovative technology, referred to by Bionic as "µTyre", makes exactly this possible and unearths unexpected treasures in the process.

In times of dwindling resources and highly volatile energy prices, industry is desperately seeking alternatives to fossil fuels like natural gas and oil. Energy-intensive sectors, in particular, face the challenge of making their production more sustainable and independent. A promising solution lies literally on the street—or rather, on the scrap heap: used tires1.

The problem until now: Due to vulcanization, a tire cannot simply be melted down and reshaped. The chemical bonds are irreversible4. However, modern processes are breaking these boundaries and essentially reversing the process.

Unlike simple incineration, where material is destroyed, this method aims for material recovery (raw material recycling)6. Detailed investigations within the framework of a diploma thesis have scientifically illuminated the potential and feasibility of this method and confirmed it through extensive test series7777.

  • The Catalyst Mix: The granules are mixed with a special catalyst (a zeolite). Zeolites act like molecular sieves and accelerate the splitting of hydrocarbon chains10101010.
    • Oil: approx. 49%
    • Solid (Char): approx. 37%
    • Process Gas: approx. 14%
    These values clearly show: The scrap tire is almost completely converted into usable energy and raw materials.

    Tire Oil as a Natural Gas Replacement

    The pyrolysis oil obtained through MWDP is one of the main products. External laboratory analyses showed impressive values:
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    • Calorific Value: The oil has an average calorific value of 39,700 kJ/kg16.
    In practice, this means that industrial plants that previously consumed huge amounts of natural gas for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants could switch to this self-produced oil181818. Gas is substituted, and dependence on volatile energy markets drops drastically.
    • Origin: Limonene is a terpene that occurs naturally in citrus fruits but is also a component of the natural rubber used for tire production. When the molecules are "cracked," this limonene is released again20.
    • Value: Limonene is a sought-after and high-priced raw chemical. It is used in various industries, for example as a solvent, in the cosmetics industry, or as a fragrance22.

      Valuable Solids: Tire Char and Steel

      The solid residue is also not waste. Analyses of the tire char revealed a carbon content of approx. 83%24. With a calorific value of around 30,800 kJ/kg, this product operates at the level of high-quality hard coal coke252525252525252525. This "tire char" can be used for energy or potentially refined back into carbon black to flow back into the production of rubber products. The same applies to the tire steel: Since it does not melt during the process but is cleanly separated from the rubber, it can be returned to the steel cycle as a high-quality raw material without complex post-processing26262626.
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      • Independence: Companies decouple themselves from the price fluctuations of the international gas market28.
      • Using scrap tires through Microwave Depolymerization is more than just recycling. It is intelligent energy management that solves waste problems while simultaneously creating new value chains.The concept presented is not science fiction, but a shortly implementable system solution for the industry33. As "Clean Technology," it meets modern environmental standards and shows that ecology and economy do not have to be contradictions34. Those who invest in such technologies today not only secure themselves against rising energy prices but also become pioneers of truly sustainable energy management. Thus, the slogan "Lived sustainability with economic sense" finally becomes a tangible reality.
      • A decisive advantage of the Bionic µFuel Technology presented here is its enormous flexibility. The plant is not restricted to a single raw material. A system originally designed for biomass or plastic waste can be modified to process scrap tires simply by re-parameterizing the process control and changing the pre-processing technology (e.g., shredding and feeding). This makes the investment particularly future-proof and adaptable to changing market conditions.
      • Conclusion: A Technological All-Rounder
      • Energy Efficiency: The plant can supply itself with energy through the resulting process gas and generators (energy-autarkic operation)30303030.
  • Depolymerization: At temperatures between 200 and 350 degrees Celsius, the long-chain molecules are broken down13. Vapors are generated and extracted from the reactor14.