By Qi Xuezhi, Waste Rubber Comprehensive Utilization Branch of China Rubber Industry Association

Reclaimed rubber is in line with China’s national condition

At present, the main utilizations of waste rubber in China are tire retreading, vulcanized rubber powder, reclaimed rubber and thermal cracking. Reclaimed rubber production takes the dominant place. In 2018, China's reclaimed rubber output reached 4.4 million tons, down 5% year-on-year; rubber powder production reached 800 kt, up 8% year-on-year. Tire retreading has shown a downward trend in recent years, while the vulcanized rubber powder and rubber granules have shown an increasing trend with the development of road and waterproof coil asphalt, the laying of sports fields and rubber products. With the advancement of technology, the development of thermal cracking has been somewhat resumed.
   Every year, more than 70% of natural rubber and more than 40% of synthetic rubber required by China's rubber products industry need to be imported, with a very huge supply gap. Recycled rubber has become the third largest rubber resource in the rubber industry other than natural rubber and synthetic rubber, and its use is increasing every year. Since the direct application of rubber powder has not been widely realized, the production and application of recycled rubber is undoubtedly the best way to meet the requirements of China's national conditions and to achieve the goal of recycling economy. The production of China's rubber powder and reclaimed rubber through 2014 to 2018 is shown in Table 1. The processing amount of waste rubber is shown in Table 2.

   Table 1  The production of China's rubber powder and reclaimed rubber, 2014-2018 (kt)

  Table 2   China’s waste rubber processing amount, 2014-2018 (kt)

   Reclaimed rubbers are raw materials of tires, cycle tires, hoses & tapes, rubber shoes, rubber products, waterproof materials, etc. Among them, tires are the most important rubber products, and they are also potentially the biggest market of recycled rubbers. Now, the biggest consumer of recycled rubber is cycle tires, accounting for 40% of reclaimed rubber production, with the hoses & tapes taking 20%, the rubber shoes 5% and other rubber products 10%.

Marching forward and facing the difficulties

   Since 2018, with the increasing pressure from environmental protection, the rubber industry has undergone some big changes. On the one hand, a large number of small enterprises have been shut down; on the other hand, capitals’ enthusiasm on the comprehensive utilization of waste rubber has been increasing. In 2019, more than 50 waste tire treatment projects have been launched across the country, including reclaimed rubber, rubber powder and thermal cracking projects.
   1. Waste rubber disposal rate and reclaimed rubber production declined
   In 2018, the amount of waste rubber generated was about 15 million tons, and the number of used tires was about 380 million. However, the production of recycled rubber declined, which led to a decline in the disposal rate of used tires. Although industry players have invested heavily in clean production, due to different emission standards and different manufacturing processes, the application of rubber powder and recycled rubber is still at a low level. The recycling system of waste rubber and used tires has not yet been established, being a bottleneck that hinders the healthy development of the industry.
   In 2018, the annual output of reclaimed rubber was 4.4 million tons, a first negative growth in the past decade. The disposal rate of used tires began to decline in 2016, and the downward degree was especially obvious in 2018. Under the background of the continued growth of waste rubber production, the continually decreasing disposal rate leaves the situation not optimistic.
   2. The application of rubber powder and reclaimed rubber is still at a low level
   The application level of rubber powder and reclaimed rubber is relatively low, and the market’s overall acceptance and recognition are not high, which is a major problem that restricts the development of the industry. The healthy and sustainable development of waste rubber and used tires, in addition to the guarantee of advanced equipment and technology, is largely decided by the application of recycled rubber and rubber powder. Without the widespread application of recycled products, there will be no healthy and sustainable development of the entire industry.
   3. The primitive recycling mode hinders the healthy development of the industry
   The used rubber and used tires are mostly collected by waste recycling hawkers, who would sell them to recycled rubber and rubber powder manufacturers. They would stop buying when the market is bearish, leaving the used rubber and tires becoming “black wastes”.

Seize the opportunity of transformation and gain space for development

   In 2019, the producer responsibility system came into effect. With the determination of various indicators of industrial sewage discharge, the sewage permit system will also be implemented, and the transformation and upgrading of the industry will enter a critical period.
   1. Concentration will be greatly improved
   Since the second half of 2017, small plants have been shut down in various places, and the market concentration is increasing, which guarantees the standardized production of recycled products and the improvement of product quality. In 2019, there are no new projects having a scale of less than 20 kt, and most of them are over 50 kt.
   2. Clean production levels will reach new heights
   More and more enterprises in the industry are, together with environmental protection equipment manufacturers, developing their production equipment and processes to constantly improve their environmental protection level.
   3. Equipment and processes will be greatly improved, and the comprehensive utilization of waste rubber will be more diverse and effective
   Under the guidance of the national policy of eliminating dynamic desulfurization tanks, more and more producers are beginning to use the continuous pressure desulfurization equipment to produce reclaimed rubber.
   Under the guidance of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, China's new recycled rubber desulfurization technology and equipment are gradually going abroad, heading for France, Spain, Qatar, the United States, Slovakia, India and Southeast Asia.
   In the production of rubber powder, biaxial crushing and room temperature pulverization have been gradually recognized by the market. Some large-scale sets of automation equipment have been put into use one after another, and the unit energy consumption, clean production level and product quality have been greatly improved.
   There are breakthroughs in key technologies of thermal cracking. Hence, cracking all kinds of waste hoses & tapes and cycle tires that are difficult to reuse would be a good option for solving the growing amount of used rubbers.
   4. Recycled product applications will receive more support and recognition, and the scope will expand
   The promotion of recycled products has been supported by national policies, which encourage and support the enhanced application of rubber powder, the application research of rubber powder and reclaimed rubber, the export of rubber powder and recycled rubber. The policies also order to enlarge the application scope of rubber powder and explore the use of rubber powder in pavement and in the production of rubber products.
   With the advancement of technologies and the development of various standards, clean production has become a reality, and environmental-friendly production will bring greater market recognition and market space to the recycled rubber products.