Mercedes Mullins
The production of tires has a significant environmental impact, from the use of fossil fuels and synthetic rubber to the assembly process. Modern tires are made from a combination of natural and synthetic rubber, with the latter being derived from petroleum and other fossil fuels. This has led to the tire industry focusing on sustainability by optimizing rolling efficiency and exploring renewable alternatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tire manufacturers are also adopting greener production processes, with some companies already using rice husk ash and other sustainable materials. While the transition to sustainable tires is challenging, efforts are being made to reduce the environmental footprint of tire production and explore alternatives to fossil fuels.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Are tires made from fossil fuels? | Yes, tires are made from fossil fuels. |
| Percentage of natural rubber in tires | 19% |
| Percentage of synthetic rubber in tires | 24% |
| Other materials used in tires | Metal, compounds, silica from rice husk ash, vegetable-based processing oils, plant cellulose, carbon black |
| Efforts to reduce use of fossil fuels in tires | Using renewable materials, chemical recycling, retreading, use of tire-derived fuel (TDF) |
| Tire-derived fuel (TDF) | Scrap tires used as fuel, considered a beneficial use as it recovers energy from the tire |
| TDF advantages | Higher heating value than coal, lower NOx emissions, competitive cost |
| TDF disadvantages | Possibility for toxin production, increase in dioxin and furan output |
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What You'll Learn
The environmental impact of tires
The production of over 3 billion tires annually requires massive amounts of natural resources, including fossil fuels, water, and agricultural space to grow natural rubber, which has been linked to deforestation. The manufacturing process involves the use of chemical mixtures that emit carcinogens and radioactive compounds. As tires contain numerous potentially toxic compounds, they are a significant source of pollution. This pollution is spread through atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic routes, and can take the form of whole tires, tire dust, tire particles, and chemical compounds.
Tire dust emitted during use is a major component of microplastics in urban runoff and a source of unique and highly potent toxic substances. The size, shape, and surface properties of tire particles can impact the methods of their emission and transport. Fine particles can be inhaled and may have adverse health effects. The production and use of tires also generate multiple heavy metals, radionuclides, PAHs, and nutrients that can be toxic alone or as chemical cocktails.
At the end of their life, tires are often incinerated or landfilled, which has a high environmental cost. They can also be recycled, but this is energy-intensive and may introduce other hazards such as contact exposure to chemicals and heavy metals. Tire-derived fuel (TDF) is controversial due to the possibility for toxin production, as studies have shown that polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and furans are produced during the combustion process.
However, the tire industry is attempting to improve its sustainability. Tire manufacturers are adopting greener production processes and renewable materials, and chemical recycling is being explored as a way to avoid landfilling used tires. Goodyear Tire & Rubber, for example, is already using silica from rice husk ash at several of its factories and aims to introduce tires made entirely of sustainable materials by 2030. The German chemical firm Lanxess will soon make the tire antioxidant Vulkanox HS from renewable raw materials using a mass-balance approach.
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The use of fossil fuels in tire production
The production of tires has a significant environmental impact, with the process requiring fossil fuels, contributing to deforestation, and resulting in plastic pollution. Modern car tires, for instance, require about 7 gallons of oil to produce, while truck tires need 22 gallons.
Tires are made from a combination of natural and synthetic rubber, with the latter being a plastic polymer derived from petroleum. Polymer materials and petroleum-derived substances can make up 85% of a tire's weight, with the synthetic rubber content of a tire being made totally from hydrocarbons such as naphtha, ethane, and benzene, which are derived from non-renewable oil and natural gas. The production of synthetic rubber is dependent on fossil fuels, with the process requiring about 60% of the global rubber supply.
In addition to synthetic rubber, other parts of the tire are also made from fossil fuels. For instance, carbon black filler, a soot-like reinforcing agent, is produced by partially burning fossil fuels. Adhesives used in tire production, such as toxic resorcinol formaldehyde resin, also contain fossil fuels. Furthermore, polyester, nylon, and aramid tire cords are all derived from crude oil feedstocks.
However, there are efforts within the tire industry to reduce the use of fossil fuels in production and adopt more sustainable practices. For example, Goodyear Tire & Rubber is using silica from rice husk ash at several of its factories, with the aim of introducing tires made entirely of sustainable materials by 2030. Similarly, the German chemical firm Lanxess will soon produce the tire antioxidant Vulkanox HS from renewable raw materials using a mass-balance approach, substituting a portion of its usual fossil fuel raw material with a renewable alternative. Tire manufacturers are also increasingly interested in buying products recovered from the chemical recycling of tires, which can be made at scale with fewer greenhouse gas emissions than tires made from fossil fuels.
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Sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels in tires
The tire industry is making efforts to become more sustainable by optimizing tires' rolling efficiency to minimize vehicles' fuel consumption and replacing fossil fuel-based raw materials with renewable ones to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
One approach is to replace fossil fuel-based raw materials with renewable alternatives. For example, the German chemical firm Lanxess will soon make the tire antioxidant Vulkanox HS from renewable raw materials using a mass-balance approach. In this method, the firm substitutes a portion of its usual fossil fuel raw material with a renewable alternative, such as recovered and processed waste oils. Goodyear is also using silica from rice husk ash at several of its tire factories and aims to introduce tires made entirely of sustainable materials by 2030.
Another approach is to use recycled materials in tires. Tire recycling has grown in recent years, and small quantities of processed rubber are reused in some tires. One company, Georgia-based Lehigh Technologies, has developed a process that freezes the rubber with liquid nitrogen before grinding it into pulverized rubber feedstock that can be used in tires. Chemical recycling of tires can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to using virgin materials. For example, carbon black and synthetic oils recycled via a pyrolysis-based process developed by the Norwegian firm Wastefront have a carbon footprint at least 80% lower than that of virgin materials.
Additionally, the industry is investigating replacing some fossil fuel-based compounds in tires with renewable materials, such as wood lignin for making tire antioxidants and soybean oil for multiple applications. Nokian Tyres is growing guayule shrubs in Spain as an additional source of natural rubber for its tires.
Finally, some companies are developing sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based rubber. For example, Goodyear and Genencor are developing microbes that can grow the isoprene monomer, or BioIsoprene, which can be used to create a synthetic rubber that mimics natural rubber. A research group at Oregon State University reported that microcellulose, made from various plant fibers, could provide a promising alternative to the heavy and costly silica mineral fillers now used to reduce tires' rolling resistance.
While the tire industry is making progress towards sustainability, it is important to note that replacing all fossil-fuel tire constituents with biomaterials will be extremely difficult in the long term, and "greener" tires may cost more and wear out sooner than traditional tires.
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The recycling of tires
As tires are non-biodegradable and have a large volume, they occupy significant space in landfills and can remain intact for centuries. Additionally, tires can trap gases like methane, creating a risk of buoyancy and contributing to methane emissions. Tire fires are also a significant concern, as they release toxic chemicals into the air and are difficult to extinguish. To address these issues, various tire recycling methods have been developed.
One common method of tire recycling is shredding, where tires are shredded or ground into small pieces using powerful knives. The shredded tire material can be used as a lightweight backfill in gas venting and leachate collection systems, as well as operational liners and landfill covers. It can also be sold as a feedstock or raw material for other industries.
Another approach to tire recycling is pyrolysis, a process that involves heating shredded tires in the absence of oxygen to produce oil, gas, and steel wire. Pyrolysis can also be used to produce tire-derived fuel (TDF), which is an alternative to fossil fuels and produces 25% more energy than coal. However, the use of TDF for heat production is controversial due to the potential for toxin production during the combustion process.
Chemical recycling is another method that avoids landfilling used tires and enables the production of recycled carbon black and synthetic oils with a significantly lower carbon footprint than virgin materials. Tire manufacturers are also exploring the use of renewable materials, such as wood lignin, soybean oil, and natural rubber, to replace fossil fuel-based raw materials and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Some other ways to recycle tires include using them as hot melt asphalt, crumb rubber modifier in recycled asphalt pavement (CRM), and as an aggregate in Portland cement concrete. Tires can also be cut up and used in garden beds as mulch to retain water and prevent weeds. Overall, recycling tires helps to reduce waste, mitigate environmental risks, and create valuable resources for various applications.
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The use of tires as fuel
Tire-derived fuel (TDF) is composed of shredded or chipped scrap tires, with the metal wire from the tire's steel belts removed. Tires are typically composed of about 1 to 1.5% Zinc oxide, which is toxic to aquatic and plant life. The use of TDF for heat production is controversial due to the possibility of toxin production, such as polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and furans, during the combustion process. A 2004 study also showed that huge polyaromatic emissions are generated from the combustion of tire rubber. Atmospheric contamination dramatically increases when tire rubber is used as fuel compared to coal combustion.
However, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports the responsible use of TDF, recognizing it as a viable alternative to the use of fossil fuels. The EPA has outlined several advantages of using tires as fuel:
- TDF has a higher BTU value than coal
- TDF can reduce the amount of fossil fuels that would otherwise be consumed
- TDF is less expensive than fossil fuels
- TDF results in lower NOx emissions when compared to many US coals, particularly high-sulfur coals
- The ash residues from TDF may contain a lower heavy metals content than some coals
The EPA has also provided guidelines for the responsible use of TDF, stating that it can be used successfully as a 10-20% supplementary fuel in properly designed fuel combustors with good combustion control and particulate controls. Dedicated tire-to-energy facilities that burn TDF as their only fuel have been demonstrated to achieve emission rates much lower than most solid fuel combustors.
The tire industry is also making efforts to adopt greener production processes and more renewable materials. For example, Goodyear Tire & Rubber is already using silica from rice husk ash at several of its tire factories and aims to introduce tires made entirely of sustainable materials by 2030. The German chemical firm Lanxess will soon make the tire antioxidant Vulkanox HS from renewable raw materials using a mass-balance approach.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, tires are made from fossil fuels. They consist of natural rubber and plastic, with about 19% natural rubber and 24% synthetic rubber.
The production of tires has significant environmental impacts, including deforestation and the use of climate-harming fossil fuels. Tires are also a major source of microplastic pollution in oceans and waterways.
Yes, the tire industry is working on replacing fossil fuel-based raw materials with renewable alternatives. For example, Goodyear Tire & Rubber is using silica from rice husk ash, while Lanxess is developing the tire antioxidant Vulkanox HS from renewable raw materials.
Tire manufacturers are adopting greener production processes and using more renewable materials. Retreading, chemical recycling, and tire-derived fuel (TDF) are also being explored as ways to reduce the environmental impact of tires.
One challenge is that some materials used in tires, such as accelerators, antioxidants, and antiozonants, are complex organic molecules that are easily derived from petroleum products but not from biomaterials. Additionally, biomaterial tires may be more expensive and wear out sooner than traditional tires.
