Environmental Waste International, an Ontario-based company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with an Israeli company, TRD Instum Ltd., to form jointly-owned companies with the exclusive rights to EWI’s tire recycling technology in Israel and certain European countries. The MOU will remain in effect until the signing of a final agreement by May 30 2008. Under terms of the agreement, TRD will place an order for a TR1500, which is based on EWI’s recycling process that reduces tires to carbon black, oil, steel and non-condensable gases. The companies see this installation as a platform for entering the European and Middle Eastern markets.
Here is the press release for the agreement.
EWI’s tire recycling technology is a Reverse Polymerization process. Below is an excerpt from the company’s website discussing the process.
Reverse Polymerization breaks down scrap tires into basic components. This is achieved using the patented process that uses direct application of high-energy microwaves in a nitrogen environment. The oxygen-depleted environment prevents the formation of hazardous bi-products (e.g. dioxins and furans) that can form from oxidation processes. Reverse Polymerization is highly controllable as the microwave magnetrons have a variable output of up to 1.45 kW each (3.0 kW for medical waste). Each magnetron is individually controllable to apply the appropriate amount of energy to the scrap tire feed. The carbon black produced from Reverse Polymerization can be used for new rubber production or other feedstocks. The steel is sold for recycling. From a 20 lb (9.1 kg) scrap tire, 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) of carbon black and 2.0 lb (0.91 kg) of steel are recovered, yielding a minimum 47.5% recycling rate. The remainder of the tire (oil and hydrocarbon gases) can be reused in the production of electricity.