Worn and damaged vehicle tires are being recycled and processed into a granular form known as crumb rubber. This is then further processed to manufacture recycled rubber items such as rubber mats in various patterns, being used in many applications as they are both non-slip and very durable.
Introduction to Rubber Mats Made from Recycled Tires
Many countries have banned the disposal of vehicle tires, but there are hundreds of companies worldwide specializing in recycling tires which is helping with the tire disposal problems.
The recycled tires are being used for any number of things from resurfacing roads and sports running tracks to making carpet tiles and rubber carpets.
Recycled tires are also used to manufacture rubber mats which can be colorful, durable and non-slip.
This is another article on the uses of recycled tires, and here we examine the methods used to produce rubber mats for domestic and industrial use.
We begin with an overview of the constituents of the vehicle tire and how it is recycled at a specialist plant.
Recycling Tires into Crumb Rubber
There are two processes currently used to produce crumb rubber:
1. Mechanical Shredding – the tires are shredded by machines.
2. Cryogenic – the tires are frozen in liquid nitrogen then shattered into small pieces.
We shall consider the mechanical shredding process, which is described below.
At the tire recycling facility, the scrap tires are fed into a splitter, which effectively cuts them into two halves. Then they are passed on to a shredder which shreds them into 2” square pieces of rubber.
These pieces are then put through a grinder which reduces them into tiny granules known as crumb rubber, which passes through magnets to remove the steel wire, filters and screens to remove dust and pieces of fabric, after which it is bagged ready for dispatch.
This crumb rubber is the basic recycled material processed to produce the various rubber mats.
Processing Crumb Rubber into Rubber Mats
There are various processes used to produce the rubber sheet from which mats are manufactured, such as the one below:
Mats from Crumb Rubber
When a tire is manufactured. part of the process includes vulcanization, which needs to be reversed before the rubber can be reused. The crumb rubber is therefore subjected to de-vulcanization.
In a typical de-vulcanizing processing technique, a reclaiming agent and oil are added to the crumb rubber, the solution being fed into a mixer. Here, the solution is subjected to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen and constantly stirred for about 8 hours.
Once de-vulcanized, the rubber solution is poured into a system of rollers where it is rolled into rubber sheets of various thickness and surface finishes.
In the production of mats, the sheets can be processed to give a smooth or rough pile finish, before being cut to the required size.
Both the smooth and piled rubber sheets can be punched to produce the efficient scraping qualities required for door-mats, and they can be embossed with colorful designs or company logos.
Where to Purchase Recycled Rubber Mats
Summary
There are currently numerous companies worldwide who are providing tire recycling facilities which are helping with the tire disposal problems.
At these facilities the tires are reduced to small pieces known as crumb rubber, which is the basic component used in the production of rubber mats.
The crumb rubber requires to be de-vulcanized before being converted to rubber sheet which in turn is used to manufacture various types of rubber mats. Rubber mats made from recycled tires can be plain, piled or patterned being both durable and non-slip.
Examples of Rubber Mats made from Recycled Tires, and Crumb Rubber Processing Equipment
Internet Sites Visited
https://www.dura-tex.co.uk/19-cable-mat.html
This post is part of the series: Recycled Tires
Here we will learn where we can recycle tires and some suggestions for uses of recycled tires including those for use in your home or business, such as in flooring.
