| Abstract |
Tires form a particularly intractable form of solid waste since they do not decompose, have an adverse effect on incinerators and air emissions, and disrupt the compaction process in sanitary landfills. The options for the disposal or recovery of used tires are described by this study as well as research into new methods of tire recovery. Rubber reclaimed from scrap tires can be used in new tire manufacture but lacks the uniformity, tensile strength, heat resistance and abrasion resistance to be used in very large concentrations. Pyrolysis, hydrogenization and related processes for separating tires into substances that may be recycled into tire production or sold as fuel, although workable on a laboratory scale, have not yet been proven commercially. The incorporation of chopped tires into an interface layer of asphalt between a deteriorated road and its new surfacing is a promising use of tires. A series of strategies was devised under which various economic, regulatory, educational, and research and development activities were combined to provide incentives to encourage the reuse of tires or improve tire disposal practices. |
