What is waste tire pyrolysis? It’s a thermal conversion process that transforms end-of-life tires into oil, gas, steel, and recovered carbon black, powering circular economies and clean energy.

Heat and energy are the currency that keep our country running. Since almost every industry requires energy, it is a sought-after resource. However, many of the substances, such as coal, that industries burn to create energy are mined from natural landscapes and release copious amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. To answer the need for cleaner ways to produce energy, tire recyclers have developed a way to effectively reduce tires into oil for energy production and other resources.

Introducing Pyrolysis

Pyro means heat, and lysis means disintegration, so pyrolysis translates to heat disintegration. In basic terms, pyrolysis is the superheating of a material in an environment without oxygen. Primarily used on organic matter, pyrolysis causes the material to disintegrate into different substances.

Tire recyclers did not invent pyrolysis, which has been practiced for centuries. The Egyptians created charcoal and methanol through the pyrolysis of wood. As technology progressed, pyrolysis helped scientists discover many useful chemical substances.

Pyrolysis of Waste Tires

When an end-of-life tire arrives at a pyrolysis plant, shredding machines break it into smaller pieces. Although some pyrolysis plants process the tires whole, this method produces less efficient reactions.

Pyrolysis of tire chips is a relatively recent innovation, and the technology that makes it possible is still undergoing numerous makeovers and reiterations. Almost all reactors heat the tire chips to between 850 and 1000 degrees Fahrenheit in an oxygen-free environment. Some heat the tire chips rapidly to achieve the results of flash pyrolysis, whereas others increase the temperature gradually and achieve different output qualities. Recently, microwaves have been used to begin the heating process.

Outputs of Tire Pyrolysis

Although no flames are present due to the lack of oxygen, pyrolysis, like burning, is an irreversible process where the chemical makeup of the original substances is changed. As the temperature increases, tires soften and eventually disintegrate.

Tire rubber is a polymer consisting of extended chains of connected carbon molecules. The extreme temperatures created in a pyrolysis reactor break these chains into individual molecules that exist as solids, liquids, and gases.

The main outputs of tire pyrolysis are:

• Steel wire (separated from the tire chips before the pyrolysis process)
• Synthetic Gas
• Oil
• Recovered Carbon Black

Tire Pyrolysis Business

Tire recycling lines are simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly business startups. Tire recycling equipment enables entrepreneurs to profit by selling crumb rubber and rubber powder for use in construction and molding industries. Tire pyrolysis adds another card for tire recycling companies to consider. The outputs of pyrolysis in some ways boost tire recyclers to more productive markets.

Businesses can start by selling the steel removed from tires. Depending on the facility’s focus, you might sell steel raw to brokers, refine it, or even shape useful steel objects.

The synthetic gas produced by the pyrolysis process is not a consistent grade and can be challenging to sell. However, it may be incorporated into biofuels. Many companies love the recycled source of synthetic gas from waste tires.

Oil produced from waste tire pyrolysis is used by cement kilns, paper manufacturers, energy producers, and many others. Although oil prices fluctuate heavily, demand remains consistently high.

Recovered carbon black looks like charcoal powder and accounts for over 30% of waste tire pyrolysis output. To the untrained eye, it may appear like the dregs at the bottom of a coffee cup and, like dregs, good for nothing but washing down the sink. Fortunately for tire recyclers, the material is crucial in many rubber goods. Recovered carbon black produces garden hoses, print ink, conveyor belts, and automotive coatings. It can also be burnt as a smokeless fuel. Business strategists and entrepreneurs host an annual conference on recovered carbon black, discussing how it can be sourced more readily from waste tire pyrolysis and used more widely throughout the rubber industry.

Pyrolysis Critics

Although pyrolysis opens the doors to success a little wider for tire recycling startups, some critics make a case for abstaining altogether. The main arguments against pyrolysis focus on energy and sustainability. Running a pyrolysis reactor requires a huge energy input. Even if it produces biofuels used by power plants and the transportation industry, is the energy used to create biofuels sustainable? Furthermore, while the oil made by pyrolysis reduces the strain on natural oil deposits, burning any oil still releases carbon into the atmosphere. This carbon increases local air pollution and exacerbates global climate change.

Ultimately, it pays to be informed about the options available through waste tire recycling. End-of-life tire pyrolysis allows recyclers to enter new markets, supply needed resources, and make the venture monetarily worthwhile.

Pyrolysis Is the Future of Tire Recycling — Make It Work for You

Understanding pyrolysis is the first step. The next step is implementing it with the right partners and technology to unlock economic and environmental value from waste tires.

Klean Industries Delivers Complete Pyrolysis Solutions:

✅ Fully engineered systems for oil, gas, rCB, and steel recovery
✅ Modular and scalable configurations for any market size
✅ Support for carbon credits, permitting, and offtake agreements
✅ Proven results at commercial scale in Europe, Asia, and the Americas

Contact Klean Industries to learn how to turn scrap tires into sustainable commodities with the world’s leading pyrolysis technology » GO.