Pyrolysis and depolymerization of tire material
The invention relates to a pyrolysis method and reactor for recovering at least one component from a tire material using thermal decomposition. The tire material is delivered to a pyrolytic chamber ( 1 ), exposed to a controlled atmosphere and heated to a decomposition temperature of the at least one component in the pyrolytic chamber ( 1 ) by microwave radiation. A variable power microwave radiation at frequencies between 300 MHz and 2500 MHZ is applied to sequentially vary a temperature in the pyrolytic chamber ( 1 ) over a temperature range including the decomposition temperature of the at least one component.
1 . Pyrolysis method for recovering differing material components of tire material using thermal decomposition, wherein the tire material is delivered to a pyrolytic chamber ( 1 ), and exposed to a controlled atmosphere and heated to a decomposition temperature of the differing material components in the pyrolytic chamber ( 1 ) by microwave radiation,
characterized in that
a variable power microwave radiation at frequencies between 300 MHz and 2500 MHz is applied to sequentially vary a temperature in the pyrolytic chamber ( 1 ) in a temperature range including predefined temperatures of the differing material components to sequentially increase the decomposition temperature in the pyrolytic chamber, resulting in a sequential decomposition of differing material components and separately collecting the differing recovered material components through several successive exit ports provided at points of increasing product temperature along a length of the pyrolytic chamber.
2 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the temperature range does not exceed 750° C.
3 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature range extends between −20° C. and 750° C.
4 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 , wherein the tire material is a feedstock or waste material stream comprising plastics, rubber products and/or polymer composites.
5 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 , wherein the tire material is a feedstock or waste material stream comprising self-sealing tires, non-pneumatic tires, tires in combination of biomass, tires incorporating kevlar and/or thermoplastics and/or thermoset polymers, electricity generating tires with electrodes in the tire, tires incorporating thermo-electric and/or piezoelectrical materials, 3-dimensionally printed tires, tires incorporating shape memory alloys, unvulcanised tires, unvulcanised rubber and/or production scrap tires in various stages prior to vulcanization.
6 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one recovered component of the different recovered material components is an oil, a hydrocarbon, a monomer, a chemical plasticizer, silica and/or a metal.
7 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one recovered component of the different recovered material components is DL Limonene, isoprene, butadiene, benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene styrene, phthalate, a metal and/or silica.
8 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 7 , wherein the tire material is tempered by the variable power microwave radiation at frequencies between 300 MHz and 2500 MHz to, to predefined temperatures around 35° C. to recover the material component isoprene, to around 80.1° C. to recover the material component benzene, 110.6° C. to recover the material component toluene, to around 138.3° C. to recover the material component p-xylene, to around 139.1° to recover the material component m-xylene, to around 144.4° C. to recover the material component o-xylene, to around 145.2° C. to recover the material component styrene, to around 178° C. to recover the material component DL Limonene and/or to 300° C.-410° C. to recover the material component phthalates.
9 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one recovered component of the different recovered material components is a pyrolytic oil that is subjected to a fractional condensation at a temperature range between −4° C. and 600° C.
10 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 9 , wherein the recovered pyrolytic oil is selected from the group consisting of paraffins, naphthenes, olefins and aromatics.
11 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled atmosphere is a negative pressure environment applied in the pyrolytic chamber, particularly a pressure at or below 10 kPa.
12 . Pyrolysis method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlled atmosphere is realized as a reactive atmosphere by at least one reactive gas.
13 . Pyrolysis reactor for recovering differing material components from a tire material using thermal decomposition, comprising a pyrolytic chamber for accommodating the tire material and at least one microwave radiation source as a heat source for heating the tire material to a decomposition temperature of the tire material, characterized in that
a control unit is provided, which comprises a microwave radiation control which is configured for applying microwave radiation of variable power at frequencies between 300 MHz and 2500 MHz to the tire material, and a temperature control which is configured for controlling sequentially varying predefined temperatures corresponding to decomposition temperatures of differing material components of the tire material to sequentially increase the decomposition temperature in the pyrolytic chamber, wherein several successive exit ports are provided at points of increasing product temperature along a length of the pyrolytic chamber for separately collecting the differing recovered material components along a length of the pyrolytic chamber.
14 . Pyrolysis reactor according to claim 13 , wherein the reactor comprises a plurality of temperature zones, each temperature zone providing a different temperature for pyrolysis of the different components of the tire material.
15 . Pyrolysis reactor according to claim 14 , wherein a length of a temperature zone is matched to the pyrolysis of a component.
16 . Pyrolysis reactor according to claim 14 , wherein the reactor comprises at least two collection vessels for collecting recovered components.