WRAP Study Finds Strong Opportunities for Recycled Rubber in Truck Retreads

A new research report by the Waste & Resources Action Programme demonstrates that crumb rubber from waste tires can be successfully incorporated into retread compounds for road truck and earthmover tires at much higher inclusion rates than was previously understood to be viable.

The research indicated that with crumb rubber incorporated at levels of up to 40 percent, the tires suffered 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 percent quicker and proved more durable.

The study - Using waste tire rubber in retreads at high inclusion rates - tested both truck tires that were fitted to dual-drive axle tipper lorries and earthmover tires, with a diameter of 1.6 meters, that were fitted to dump trucks.

The report details how the process of surface polymerization enables high rates of rubber from waste tires to be successfully included in retread compounds - a process which had not been thought possible until now.

Steve Waite, Project Manager for Tires at WRAP, said: "The UK produces around 130,000 waste tires every day so testing and developing new outlets for tire-derived rubber material is a priority for the industry. This study provides reassurance for users that high percentages of rubber crumb can successfully be incorporated into retread compounds for truck and earthmover tires without compromising the tires’ 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. "

Robin Pegden, Managing Director of Envirogen Technologies Ltd, the company involved with the re-polymerization technology used in the trial, said: "A green sustainable solution now exists for the tire industry; Surface Repolymerization is the breakthrough that the waste tire industry has always sought. This complete new approach now offers tire companies a new ‘true green’ material that has both economic and environmental benefits in its future use."

Mark Stevenson, Business Manager of Rubber Recovery Ltd and the author of the report, added: "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 tire manufacturing industry realize the potential for recycled rubber in their products."

The full report on the trial and research findings is available free from the WRAP website and can be downloaded at www.wrap.org.uk/tyres.