Experimental Setup for Producing Synthetic Fuel from Worn Tires

Abstract

This article examines the process of producing synthetic fuel from worn-out tires using pyrolysis. The feedstock used was tires unfit for further use, pre-crushed into 120 mm² fragments. An experimental setup was developed for the process, including a pyrolysis reactor, collection tanks, a heat exchanger, a refrigerator, pressure gauges, valves, a pump, and a gas burner. During the experiment, 4.18 kg of worn-out tires were subjected to thermal decomposition at a temperature of approximately 500 °C. This resulted in the production of 1.8 liters of pyrolysis oil, 1.32 kg of carbon black, 0.6 kg of metal cord, and pyrolysis gas. The physicochemical properties of the pyrolysis oil, including density, viscosity, flash point, freezing point, and fractional composition, were studied. It was found that the maximum yield of the liquid product is achieved at a temperature of approximately 500 °C and a process duration of approximately 60 minutes. Pyrolysis oil was shown to contain aromatic hydrocarbons, alkenes, dienes, alkynes, and cycloalkanes, and fractional distillation can produce a light fraction in the 35–140°C range. These results confirm the feasibility of recycling used tires to produce valuable organic compounds and synthetic fuel components.