Chemistry & Biology Vol.

1 Issue 1

2015

Pyrolysis of waste tyres and future

Pundlik Shivaji Ware

In the world, India is the third largest producer, fourth largest consumer of natural
rubber and fifth largest consumer of synthetic rubber [1]. Indian Rubber Industry plays a
core sector role in the Indian national economy. Globally, it is estimated that 13.5 million
tonnes of tyres are scrapped every year; 40% of which come from emerging markets such as
China, India, South America, Southeast Asia, South Africa and Eastern Europe. In the US
alone, exports of waste tyres amounted to almost 140,000 tonnes/ year from 2002-2011.
Figure 1 shows that the latest estimates of the scrap tyre distribution in the world.

Fig.1. Scrap tyres per year [2]

It is found that annually, about a Million Tons ( about 10 Lakh Tons) of scrap tyres are
available in India, and this figure is increasing in leaps and bounds as the vehicle numbers in
the passenger, commercial and industrial sectors in India too are catching up to the Western
levels! The disposal of waste tyre has become a major environmental concern globally and
this can be attributed to the increase in automobile usage as well as population especially in
areas of large population and highly industrialized nations [4-8]. The problems caused by the
waste tyres is majorly because they are not biodegradable and can last for several decades if
no proper handling is carried out.
In the year 2011, in India, The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) has issued closure
notices to 45 units in the city and district which manufactured oil from all types of waste
rubber due to complaints of air and odour pollution and cheaper version for the process of
pyrolysis [3].
According to the PPAC (Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell), in financial year 2014 the India
produced ~37,800 TMT (thousand metric tons) of crude oil. The total consumption for the
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