NOvel RUBber blends for Tyres with a REduced Environmental impacT, for a better LIFE

Introduction

NORUBTREET_4_LIFE intends to address the challenge posed by the EU regulation which bans the usage of used tyres as secondary raw materials in the production of children's playgrounds and sports fields, since they release polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), substances which proved to be dangerous for human health and, to some extent, for the environment. PAHs are, in fact, emitted as well by new tyres throughout their lifetime.

Proposed Solution

An effective solution to this problem involves the design of a closed-loop recycling process for used tyres, in a cradle-to-cradle perspective, i.e., producing tyres from tyres. The new rubber blends to be produced by the project will:

• Be fully compliant with the required specific performances and existing legislation.
• Have zero content of PAHs, preventing from the start all issues related to their release.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30%, compared to the emissions released when producing tyre rubber from virgin material.

Demonstration and Testing

The project will demonstrate the use of the recycled rubber material from end-of-life tyres by blending it with virgin rubber to produce and test tyre treads, which are expected to have a Net Present Cost (NPC) reduced by at least 25% thanks to the use of recycled rubber.

Validation of Materials

The new PAH-free materials will be tested and validated concerning both their functional properties and their emission behaviour. The Consortium intends to monitor not only the gaseous emissions to prove the complete elimination of PAHs and other possibly dangerous volatile components but also the airborne particulate matter, which is going to be a regulated parameter in the EURO 7 standard.

Toxicological Assessment

The degree of amelioration in terms of a reduced toxicological impact of the novel blends, as compared to selected benchmarks, will also be assessed.

Future Steps

To facilitate the post-project replication/upscaling of project results, first steps will be taken to explore the extension of the new recycling method to the whole tyre. An exploitation plan will be prepared, and active dissemination of project results will take place, including actions targeted to national/EU policymakers and regulators.