“Even though the realized profit of 38 key member enterprises increased by 14.96% in the first 7 months of this year, we shall be acutely aware of the big gap from the resource-saving and eco-friendly enterprises as the economic benefit of the industry is increasing. In particular, the environmental protection situation is severe in the current industry, so environmental protection becomes a historical mission in waste rubber comprehensive utilization industry.” Cao Qingxin, the secretary-general of CRIA Waste Rubber Comprehensive Utilization Branch, said to the reporter in the “National Waste Rubber Utilization Information & Technical Exchange Seminar” held in Linyi, Shandong from September 24 to 26.

Residents Disturbance Caused by Waste Gas Forced the Industry to Upgrade

The processing, production and recycle of waste tires, as recycling economic projects encouraged by the state, have environmental pollutions in this industry, meanwhile. Waste gas arising from rubber has been a “public hazard” for the nearby residents.

It is understood by the reporter that the local government cut off power and shut down the waste rubber mills involved in the environmental pollutions of waste rubber enterprises in Yutian County, Hebei Province reported by CCTV on June 21, 2013. Three enterprises including Tianjin Jida Company, Tianyu Company and Dongchang Company whose daily reclaimed rubber output is about 310 tons were ordered to close. In Haimen, Jiangsu, there are 14 reclaimed rubber manufacturers with annual output of 150,000 tons. Last year, the environmental authorities carried out the first round of remediation and implemented control re-promotion engineering of waste gas arising from rubber this year. In addition, examinations of law enforcement for reclaimed rubber enterprises in such places as Cangzhou, Hebei and Shandong are often reported by the media. Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China revised and approved by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress will be formally enacted on January 1, 2015.   

Waste rubber comprehensive utilization industry is faced with the situation of “frontal interception and back chasing”, and fails to attract transboundary capital. The topic in front of the industry lies in how to realize the “sound” development and become resource-saving and eco-friendly enterprises on the basis of “utilization” of waste rubber and tires.

 “Why this seminar was held in Linyi, Shandong is that the 3 enterprises arranged for visiting all have its own features.” Cao Qingxin told the reporter. Linmu County Zhongtai Rubber Products Co., Ltd. is a representative of traditional enterprises adopting clean production and realizing rubber powder production automation; Juxian Dongsheng Rubber Co., Ltd. is a model of independently researching and developing production line for continuous desulphurization under normal pressure with automatic production and extending rubber powder industrial chains to make rubber products such as inner tubes develop towards high value-added; and Shandong Shunhe Rubber Co., Ltd. is an example of traditional enterprises that downsize staff for greater efficiency and realize green production and sustainable development through technical transformation and automatic production.  

“For the past two years, by the use of diversified manners including combination of production, teaching and research, subject approval and independent research and development”, effective innovation has been carried out in waste rubber comprehensive utilization industry on three basic subjects of ‘secondary pollution’, ‘energy conservation’ and ‘automatic control’.” Liu Zengyuan, a leader of Expert Team of Waste Rubber Comprehensive Utilization Branch, said.

As introduced by the experts, the most serious pollution in reclaimed rubber manufacturing industry is hydrogen sulfide discharge (stinky), followed by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and heavy metals. The chief culprit is coal tar softener, which must be discharged from the market and replaced by the eco-friendly softener. In this way, the secondary pollution of reclaimed rubber will be relived to a great extent. It is learned that waste rubber utilization industry has commenced the formulation of “Self-discipline Regulations of Eco-friendly Reclaimed Rubber” to make the reclaimed rubber products meet the requirements of “product safety and use safety”, accord with the REACH Rules of EU, eliminate poisonous and harmful coal tar softener, which will be completed in December 2014.

Remarkable Development Effect of Eco-friendly & Energy-efficient Equipment

The key of reclaimed rubber production is devulcanization plasticizing unit. The dynamic devulcanization tank under high temperature and high pressure and continuous devulcanization machine under normal pressure are two technical equipment used in this industry currently. “The dynamic devulcanization tank under high temperature and high pressure is the most widely used one with mature technologies to the greatest extent, however, the continuous devulcanization equipment under normal pressure and process technology are the development directions as well as the keys for pushing the technical transformation and upgrading of reclaimed rubber devulcanization and rubber power plasticizing equipment in the industry. Main enterprises of both machines and tanks are renovating the process technologies to solve the environmental pollutions to the waste rubber comprehensive utilization industry.” Cao Qingxin said.

 “We have produced more than 1600 dynamic devulcanization tanks under high temperature and high pressure with market share accounting for over 70%, in which 95% is still used. Many enterprises with new reclaimed rubber projects or technical transformation or expansion projects still prefer the dynamic devulcanization tank, but it causes a great deal of high-temperature waste gas containing a number of poisonous and harmful organic substances with pungent taste and severe contamination to the environment.” Wang Changbin, the president of Huainan Petrochemical Machinery Factory, said, “We have developed energy-saving and eco-friendly waste rubber recycling tanks by joint efforts with scientific research institutions and users and passed the field evaluation in the last ten-day period of May 2014. In the experts’ opinion, they are wastewater-free, waste gas-free, stink-free and pollution-free. So far, more than 60 sets of such tanks have been sold in the past more than 3 months.”

Besides being applied by nearly a hundred enterprises at home, the products of main manufacturers engaged in continuous devulcanization plasticator under normal pressure such as Dujiangyan New Times Industrial Co., Ltd., Shandong Jinshan Rubber & Plastic Equipment Technology Co., Ltd. and Pinglu Kangle Rubber and Plastic Technology Co., Ltd. are exported to such countries and regions as Southeast Asia, India, Europe and North America. Even though the eco-friendly safe devulcanization way has been widely acknowledged in the industry, the re-innovation still proceeds. Especially, the research & development of the whole-journey linkage in smash, devulcanization and calendering refining are growing vigorously.

 “The devulcanization plasticator makes for environmental protection. Process technology plays a key part in the equipment improvement course, and we shall not only pay attention to the appearance. The core of the linkage of the upstream and downstream working procedures lies in the grasp of positive devulcanization point of reclaimed rubber in particular. Due to the influence of such factors as raw materials of waste rubber, it is inconstant and needs noticing.” Xiao Guanlu, the president of Dujiangyan New Times Industrial Co., Ltd., said.

 “The application of new plasticators of Jiangyin Maisun Company realizes devulcanization at positive devulcanization point, which is not only energy-saving and eco-friendly, but also eventually changes the production situation of reclaimed rubber enterprises and really realizes safe and eco-friendly production because devulcanization is carried out under low temperature without water added during the plasticizing process or exhaust gas produced during the rubber mixing process.” Xiao Qinlong, the manager of Shanghai Xiaoyou Rubber Co., Ltd., said.

Besides the above-mentioned two desulfurization processes and equipment, Dong Chengchun, a senior expert in the industry, also introduced the continuous devulcanization production technology and feasibility under normal pressure by ultrasonic. “Appropriate softener rather than activator can be added to this physical devulcanization process, which is energy-saving, emission-reduced, production cost-reduced and pollution-free.” In his opinion, it will not take a long time to realize the industrialization of ultrasonic devulcanization with unremitting efforts and explorations in the industry.

With regard to the elimination of “three minor aspects” frequently leading to safe production accidents, CRIA also energetically requests the enterprises to implement the occupational health safety system and stick to the “people-oriented” safe production concept. All advanced enterprises choose tire crushing and grinding equipment recommended by the state with realization of industrial linkage, making the first procedure of waste tire grinding not a “dragging” procedure. As a result, the whole production automation level and scale production of the industry both rise to a great extent.

As noticed in Shandong Shunhe Rubber Co., Ltd. by the reporter, the rubber powder production has increased efficiency by downsizing payrolls after transformation of automatic loading and discharging devices. The eco-friendly efficient reclaimed rubber blender mixers and plasticators produced by Juxian Dongsheng Rubber Co., Ltd. after innovation and improvement starting from a high level and the new efficient energy-saving automatic reclaimed rubber outfit of Dalian Baofeng Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. make a perfect pair, which increases the conveyor feed dividing devices and chopping devices and realizes full automation in the whole process basically.

Liu Shuling, the general manager of Beijing Tianzhongfang Technical Development Co., Ltd., a waste gas purification and treatment equipment manufacturer, told the reporter that this company had developed such eco-friendly equipment as “all-in-one waste gas purification and treatment machine” and “wastewater purification machine” special for tire companies and reclaimed rubber enterprises has been used by Wanda Boto Tire Co., Ltd., Guizhou Daigao Driving Band Co., Ltd. and Shandong New Dongyue Group Co., Ltd. “The two large-scale waste gas treatment equipment of Nantong Huili Rubber Co., Ltd., the biggest enterprise engaged in waste rubber comprehensive utilization, was installed in the midmonth of June, solving the waste gas pollutions arising from rubber from the source. Nanhui Company will also use the wastewater purification and treatment equipment produced by this company.” Liu Shuling said.

Policy Guidance Required by Industry Transformation

Since the beginning of the new century, the reclaimed rubber industry has realized fast development. While it brings about economic benefit, environmental pollution can’t be ignored. Environmental protection forces the industry to transform, but it needs a process as well as the guidance and support of the national industrial policies. 

Lately, the second batch of key enterprises list in “Double Hundred Program” for comprehensive utilization of resources was published by the National Development and Reform Commission, in which Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Cycle Technology Co., Ltd. and Shandong Laiwu Fuquan Rubber Co., Ltd. were included. It is learned that the National Development and Reform Commission will strengthen the guidance on the development of key enterprises, give strong support for the construction of products undertaken by key enterprises, and further research and complete the encouragement and supporting policies with relevant authorities.

Liu Hua, the deputy general manager of Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Cycle Technology Co., Ltd., said that this company was mainly engaged in a series of work including product recovery, repair and retreading of waste tires of Zhongce Rubber Group Co., Ltd., the largest tire manufacturer in China. The produced retreaded tires were recognized as products with comprehensive utilization of resources by economic and information technology departments of Zhejiang in 2012. In the last ten-day of May 2014, this company was listed in the first batch of enterprises suitable for announcement management in Tire Retreading Industry Access Conditions made by MIIT. It is learned that there were only 23 enterprises engaged in tire retreading, reclaimed rubber and rubber power listed in the first batch of announced enterprises.

As introduced by Yin Zuopeng, the general manager of Shandong Shunhe Rubber Co., Ltd., this company actively sought for the national policy support, reported 6 projects to the state, province and city and got the financial support of RMB 14.65 million yuan successively in the green reclaimed rubber transformation project with total investment of RMB 48 million yuan and annual output of 30,000 tons. It will complete the installation of 6 new efficient energy-saving automatic reclaimed rubber outfit production lines and 5 sets of eco-friendly efficient reclaimed rubber blender mixers and plasticators. At the beginning of 2015, it will realize the production capacity of 30,000 tons of green reclaimed rubber annually. On the premise of consolidating the sale of rubber powder, the first step of industrial transformation and upgrading has been taken.

 “As one of waste gas treatment equipment manufacturers, we are willing to provide high-quality products and services for the reclaimed rubber industry.” Liu Shuling said, “However, some reclaimed rubber enterprises with fluke mind only went into action when they were urged. Last year, under the severe situation of environmental protection, they intended to make preparations for waste gas treatment equipment; however, the purchase plan was put aside temporarily this year.”

The energy conservation and environmental protection in the waste rubber utilization industry have been upgraded. However, there is still a long way to put the proposed schemes and measures into action, realize intelligence and automation of the construction installation equipment, energy conservation, cost reduction, environmental protection, clean production, safe production and occupational health in the technical process, and undertake the corresponding social responsibilities.

 “China’s waste rubber comprehensive utilization industry undertakes the unchanged historical missions of environment and resource protection, and the structural adjustment and product upgrading in this industry will speed up.” Cao Qingxin said.