d8.4. layman’s report - european...

CIP Eco-innovation Pilot and market replication projects

Call 2008

Call Identifier: CIP-EIP-Eco-Innovation-2008

D8.4. Layman’s report Contract ECO/08/239112

Due date of deliverable: Month 30 Actual submission date: Month 30

Start date of project: July 2009 Duration: 30 months

Lead contractor for this deliverable: IBV Project website: www.eco-rubber.eu

Dissemination Level PU Public √ PP Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services) RE Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services) CO Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services)

Innovative used tyres recycling and rubber sintering process for eco-friendly

urban equipment fabrication

www.eco-rubber.eu

Duration: 30 months

Budget: € 1 022 304 (EU contribution: 51,75 %)

ECO/08/239112/SI2.535300

Coordinator

INDEX

INDEX ................................................................................................................................................3

THE PROBLEM AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION .....................................................................4

PROJECT OVERVIEW AND OBTAINED RESULTS ..........................................................................4

THE MARKET AND EUROPEAN ADDED VALUE .............................................................................8

REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................9

CIP-EIP-Eco-Innovation-2008. ID: ECO/08/239112

Layman’s report p. 4 of 10

THE PROBLEM AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The 27 countries of the EU had to dispose 2.6 million tonnes

of tyres in 2010 alone. Although since 1996 the trends of the

different recycling and recovery options have significantly

evolved; only 40% of those were recycled while 38% were

used as fuel – substituting one problem for another in the form

of emissions.

Referring to material recycling, the main applications of powders (recycled crumb rubber) are as a

filler or additive and usually in low volumes to modify the properties of the material or to reduce the

manufacturing cost.

In addition, rubber is the basic constituent of

many products used in transportation, industrial,

consumer, hygienic and medical sectors. The

rapid rise in oil prices along with continuing

supply tightness has driven Natural rubber (NR)

prices higher, following the same trend as

Synthetic rubber (SR) feedstock prices. Crumb

recycled rubber could be a valuable

alternative to the use of Natural or Synthetic

rubber for obtaining a wide range of

commercial and industrial products.

Furthermore, the particular qualities characterising end-of-life tyres, such as flexibility, strength, low

weight, high drainage capacity, shock absorption and insulation means they are extremely well suited

for using them, after the grinding-sintering process developed in ECO-RUBBER, to fabricate URBAN

furniture products competing with other materials used until now.

PROJECT OVERVIEW AND OBTAINED RESULTS

The main goal of this project is to adapt the current industrial rubber recycling process to

supply innovative recycled rubber urban furniture products manufactured by an innovative sintering process as an alternative to virgin rubber, wood or concrete products. After the

CRIOSINTER FP6 CRAFT project, it was proved that obtaining products with enough functional

properties comparable to that of traditional products is possible using a recycled rubber sintering

process.

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To reach this main objective different partial goals were achieved:

1. An adapted and improved grinding process in order to obtain the targeted particle

morphology and zero contaminants (ferrous, metal and textile decontamination) and to

improve the morphologies synergy blends to obtain recycled rubber with enhanced

properties

Regarding the grinding process, in order to obtain the required quality of the final material, a

reduction of the amount of contaminants in raw materials was necessary, and thus, an adaptation of the

present grinding lines was performed.

The planed layout was assembled in the RECIPNEU facilities and consists of a pulveriser that

mechanically grinds the largest granules obtained in the previous cryogenic process. To obtain rubber

powder with a more uniform and well defined size distribution, a new sieving system intended for

rubber powders was installed. All fine rubber particles smaller than 0.6 mm are processed in this

sieving system. Regarding the ferrous decontamination of the rubber powders, it is done by using a

high magnetic power automatic system. Concerning textile decontamination equipment, after previous

research work carried out on the combination of different equipments (densimetric column, granulator,

pulveriser, electrostatic column, densimetric table), in order to minimize the textile contamination

level a system for the decontamination of the fibre with the following operations was installed: a

densimetric column (where a large quantity of big fibres is removed), followed by a pulveriser (where

granulates undergo size reduction and release more fibres), then a detextiler (where balls of

microfibres are formed and then separated by vibration), and finally an electrostatic column (for

electrostatic removal of residual textile fibres).

Product Requirements

High superficial area of the

particles (rough surface)

Narrow size distribution of

rubber particles

Very low metal

contamination

Very low textile fiber

contamination

Adaptation in the line to achieve the Requirement

Mechanical grinding (pulverizer) Accurate sieving system Magnetic drum

Densimetric and electrostatic separation

QUALITY CONTROL TESTS



2. An optimized formulation including up to 89% of crumb recycled rubber.

The addition of additives to the base crumbing material with a minimum percentage of contaminants

(steel and textile fibre), a crumb rubber homogeneous distribution and rough morphology together

with the correct particle size selection, improves the final mechanical properties of the product.

Among the different additives evaluated, the ones that provide the largest increase in tensile strength

and elongation, almost doubling the value achieved with samples without additives, were selected

getting two different formulations; one with 89% and the other with 60% of crumb recycled rubber.

3. An optimized sintering process including dosing chamber and pre-heated phases.

In reference to the mixing process, it was necessary to use the most advantageous mixing and dosing

equipment. After analyzing all different machinery available, the production plant was finally

integrated by solid dosing equipment for crumb recycled rubber, liquid dosing equipment for additives

and a mixer with infrared heating system. This machinery was assembled together in the following

layout:

A headframe pre-dosifier is used to place a load over the conveyor belt, which is connected to

an automatic timer for the optimum dosing of the rubber grain.

Then, this grain is transported to an elevating bucket system where it is conveyed up to the

suspended mixer where it is mixed and heated together with the selected additives. .

In reference to the sintering process, the current hot compression line was adjusted introducing and

modifying different equipment such as mixers, pneumatic feedings and a heating chamber.

4. An Ecolabel stamp for the developed products in order to eliminate user attitude barriers to

the use of urban furniture made of recycled rubber

A specific stamp to be placed on the bollards and increase the visibility of its sustainability has been

designed. In addition, a brochure explaining its benefits has been produced based on an LCA study.

Finally, a proposal for an EU-ECOLABEL group has been sent.



5. To aid the introduction of simulation programs into the design process of recycled products

that enables to predict and assess the final product performance

The methodology to perform a Finite Element Analysis has been defined.

6. The selected urban innovation which is safe, comfortable and environmentally-friendly

The results of impact tests where HIC index was determined show that a sintered bollard made of 89%

recycled rubber material, is 4 times safer (HIC index equal to 305 ) than a metallic one (HIC 1211)

and that a bollard made of 60% of recycled rubber is 3 times safer than a metallic one (HCI from 361

to 1211). In addition, these recycled rubber bollards are more flexible, so they produce less friction on

vehicles and minimize scratching.

In addition, the bollard is environmentally-friendly as can be observed in the LCA results.

Identify critical area

•Lower density

•Lower temperature

Stress- strain diagrams

•General scenario

•Worst scenario

•Obtain the breaking strength (Mpa)

Simulate

•Add recycled rubber material properties

Assess mechanical resistance

•Compare high density-high temperature areas with breaking point .

•Compare low density-low temperature with breaking point.

•Assess if either area overcomes its corresponding breaking point.

Life cycle assessment (LCA)

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THE MARKET AND EUROPEAN ADDED VALUE

According to the United Nations

Environment Programme (UNEP) elaborated

by the UN, for the period from now until

2030 it is estimated that 60% of the global

population will live in urban areas, which is

double the amount of inhabitants than in

1950 and 22% more than in 2003..

Cities have suffered a spectacular growth of

population during the last century, and

particularly since the „50s, when a city was

only considered as an urban agglomeration

with a number of inhabitants higher than ten

million. In 2000, the number of cities in this

category was 19, and it is estimated that in

2015 this number will rise to 23 urban

centres.

Nowadays in the European Union, over 60% of the population lives in urban areas of over 50 000

inhabitants. Nevertheless, this is not a recent phenomenon within Europe, where for centuries, towns,

cities and metropolitan areas have contributed significantly to define European society and

civilization. Furthermore, small and medium-size cities have developed an important role in the

urbanization process.

In this context, the concept of a sustainable construction appears with the aim of promoting

environmentally friendly construction materials, energy efficiency in buildings and construction and

demolition waste management. The ECO-RUBBER products allow manufacturing companies to

introduce into the market products made of recycled materials that will be of sufficient quality, safer

and more comfortable for the final users. Additionally, the project products promote the use of

recycled rubber as an environmentally friendly material allowing that a residue, whose destination was

the landfill or incineration, could be used again as raw material for the production of urban

innovations.

In addition, green public procedures are being promoted around Europe due to the fact that public

authorities spend each year over €1,500 billion on urban procurements (16 % of the GDP). The

introduction of recycled rubber in the urban furniture market will also promote green public

procedures into this kind of goods. This sector, only in Spain, has a production of over €3 billion and

210 companies working on it.

Moreover, total world rubber consumption is estimated to have reached a Moving Annual Total

(MAT) of 25.8 million tonnes by end Q3 2011 (December 2011-International rubber study group).

Global synthetic rubber production was 7.5% higher than at end Q3 2010, in line with the relatively

strong growth seen in SR consumption, while global NR supply was 4.1% higher than at end Q3 2010.

Furthermore, the rapid rise in oil prices along with continuing supply demand has driven natural

rubber prices higher. The use of recycled rubber as a raw material will reduce the dependence of the

virgin rubber, so it will improve the competitiveness of the companies.

Thus, there is a huge market for recycled rubber. It is important to highlight the fact that all the

processes proposed in the ECO-RUBBER project could be replicated for a wide range of high volume

KEY POINTS FOR THE MARKET INTRODUCTION

Green public procurements

People living in

cities

Rubber prices



rubber products such as automotive, industrial, consumer and leisure sectors competing with rubber as

a raw material.

REFERENCES

http://www.rubberstudy.com/news-article.aspx?id=5032&b=default.aspx

European Tyre and Rubber Industry. Statistics. Edition 2011. ETRMA Accesed on January

2011. Available on line http://www.etrma.org/

European Union. Regional Policy. State of European Cities Report. 2007 Accesed on July

2008. Available on line at <

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/themes/urban/audit/index_en.htm>

The European Commission. Executive summary of the final report on sustainable

construction. Accesed on August 2008. Available at

<http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/construction/suscon/finrepsus/sucoex.htm>

ECO SMEs, 2000. Accesed on September 2008. Available at <http://ex-

elca2.bologna.enea.it/cm/navContents?l=&navID=urbanFurniture&subNavID=1&pagID=4&f

lag=FONT>1>

EUROPA. European Commission. Environment. Green Public Procurement. Accesed on

September 2008. Available at

<http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/facts_and_figures_en.htm>

http://www.etrma.org/

ttp://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/themes/urban/audit/index_en.htm%22

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ECO‐RUBBER “Innovative used

tyres recycling and rubber

sintering process for eco-friendly

urban equipment fabrication” is a CIP Eco-innovation Pilot and

market replication project.

ECO/08/239112/SI2.535300.

The project has a total duration of

30 months (from July 2009 to

December 2011) and a budget of

€ 1 022 304 (EU contribution:

51,75 %)

CONTACT:

www.eco-rubber.eu

AIMPLAS E-mail:[email protected]

Tel: +34 96 136 60 40

IBV

E-mail:[email protected]

Tel: +34 96 387 91 60

http://www.eco-rubber.eu/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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