Introduction to Recycling and the Re-use of Rubber

In addition to the above considerations that can be applied to a single process, there are a number of ways in which the various routes that are available for recycling rubber can be compared with the costs to produce new products and materials, and one is a comparison of the energetic balance of the different processes. Some generic indicative examples have been provided by Manuel and Dierkes [2] and are reproduced in Table 1.1. 

A large amount of information and data are presented in all three studies, but some of the salient points that are highlighted in their executive summaries are given below  

The report s conclusion was that the re-use of rubber products from used tyres has the potential to make a substantial contribution to reducing carbon emissions. 

the initial attractiveness of using waste rubber crumb (particularly tyre crumb) in products such as concrete, asphalt and wood lies in the importance of finding a use for the material itself. However, in addition to the environmental benefits mentioned above, improvements in important performance parameters can also result from its use (e.g., improvements in wear, durability, impact performance, insulation and so on), and another major benefit is that it takes the place of important raw materials (e.g., ceramics, wood, aggregate and so on) in these large tonnage products. 

Finally, as with all recycling activities, the challenge with the recycling of rubber, in whatever form or product, has always been to develop processes that, ideally, have the following attributes  

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