How Titan’s tire reclamation process actually works

Titan International has officially opened its revolutionary tire reclamation plant in Canada, offering an environmental solution to one of the mining and tire industry’s biggest challenges.

Titan Tire Reclamation Corp (TTRC) — a subsidiary of Titan International — opened last month in Fort McMurray, the oil sands of North America, and has already begun recycling problematic giant scrap mining tires.

So, how does it work?

Huge industrial mining tires past their use-by date are now being processed in six TTRC thermal reactors, which heat up the 10,000 pound tires to hundreds of degrees, reducing them to light and heavy oil, steel and carbon black. The oil and steel is on-sold to other industries, while the carbon black is fed back into the tire-making process.

More than 85 percent of the gas that is generated during the process is used to heat the reactors, making it more environmentally friendly than other methods.

At full production, TTRC estimates on a daily basis the operation is capable of converting 240,000 pounds of scrap tires to approximately 13,600 gallons of oil, 52,800 pounds of steel and 76,800 pounds of carbon black.

“This system is not just the only one of its kind in the Canadian industry, it’s the first of its kind in the world,” said Maurice Taylor, Titan International Chairman and CEO.

“We’ve been leading the field for a lot of years. We’re just a small company of entrepreneurs, bringing innovation to the tire business.”

The venture is a result of years of research and development; TTRC came up with the solution using a process originally developed by Green Carbon. Titan then partnered with ACDEN (part of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Paul Newton, Green Carbon and Suncor to bring it to the oil sands.

“This venture has taken over seven years to complete from the day Titan first met with Shell Oil, but it’s been two years to get it here today with Suncor. I want to thank everyone who has worked on this project and for what they have done to make this new chapter at Titan successful,” Taylor said.

Plans for expansion

TTRC’s innovative reclamation plant is creating dividends in the job market. There are currently 15 people working at the facility and the number could expand to as many as 40 employees. TTRC will be testing and developing the system and plans to ramp up the entire system over the next several weeks.

Taylor said the company had plans for another reclamation unit in Canada, nine in the mining regions of Chile and a further 12 in Australia — all within the next two years. Venture leaders all commended the project, saying it has set the benchmark for environmental recycling of heavy mining industry tires worldwide.

Chief Allen Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation said the new technology provided important environmental and economic benefits to the oil sands and the wider region.

Tagged: Tire reclamation

How Titan’s tire reclamation process actually works