Recycling of Waste Tyres to Liquid Fuel for Automobile Application

Abstract

The pyrolysis of waste tyres was carried out in a batch pyrolyzer reactor at a temperature of 500°C and atmospheric pressure. The tyre  pyrolyzed oil (TPO) obtained recorded an average yield of 43% and the pyrolyzed carbon black (PCB) was found to be 39% while the steel  wire was found to be 9%, the remaining 9% was mainly pyrolyzed gas. The average calorific value of the waste tyre pyrolyzed oil was  found to be 40MJ/kg while the average density and viscosity were 0.850g/cm3 and 3.69Cst respectively. The results obtained from the Gas  Chromatography Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) revealed total of 21 compounds from the uncatalyzed pyrolysis while 20 compounds  were found in the catalyst aided pyrolysis. More so, Tricosanoic acid, Cyclotrisiloxane hexamethyl, Phenol-3-ethyl and  Tris(terbutyldimethylsilyloxy) are the only common compounds found in both catalyzed and uncatalyzed TPO. As such, the catalyst has  caused the formation of compounds that are different from the ones found in the uncatalyzed pyrolysis process. More so, based on  average oil yield the process is suitable in the generation of diesel like fuel that can be used to power devices that operate on diesel.  However, further processes are required to remove the impurities found in the pyrolyzed oils.