Amid the global upgrading of the waste tire recycling and utilization industry, tire pelletizing production lines have become core equipment in the circular economy field due to their core advantages of “high-efficiency conversion and high added value”. Unlike traditional milling processes, tire pelletizing focuses on producing rubber pellets of uniform particle size (rather than powder), which are widely used in rubber product recycling, road paving, sports facilities, and other scenarios. It not only solves the pollution problem of waste tires but also opens up a sustainable profit path for enterprises.
I. Understanding Tire Pelletizing Production Lines
A tire pelletizing production line is an integrated set of equipment integrating “crushing, separation, pelletizing, and screening”. Its core logic is to decompose end-of-life tires (ELTs) into rubber pellets that meet specifications through mechanical shearing, extrusion, and other processes, efficiently separate impurities such as steel wires and cord fabrics, and finally produce recycled rubber pellets with high purity and stable performance.
Core Components of a Standard Production Line
Primary Crusher: With a motor power of 90-132kW, it crushes complete end-of-life tires into 80-120mm tire blocks and initially peels off the surface rubber;
Secondary Crusher: With a motor power of 160-220kW, it shears coarse tire blocks into 20-40mm rubber chips and separates most of the steel wires simultaneously;
Fine Separator: With a motor power of 22-37kW, it separates remaining steel wires and cord fabric fibers through dual processes of magnetic separation and air separation, with higher separation accuracy;
Pelletizer: With a motor power of 250-315kW, it processes pure rubber chips into uniform pellets of 3-10mm through screw extrusion and mold forming;
Screening and Cooling System: With a motor power of 11-18.5kW, it screens rubber pellets of different particle sizes and cools them through air cooling to ensure the stability of pellet forming.
II. Core Value of Tire Pelletizing Production Lines (With Overseas Cases)
Efficient Resource Utilization and Reduced Environmental Pressure
Case (Birmingham, UK): Local recycling enterprise EcoRubber introduced a fully automated tire pelletizing production line and now processes 45,000 tons of end-of-life tires annually. The 5mm rubber pellets produced are all supplied to the UK Highways Agency for the base paving of rural roads, replacing 28,000 tons of virgin aggregate each year, reducing land occupation by approximately 12 mu (about 0.8 hectares), and achieving a carbon emission reduction of 23,000 tons.
Adapting to High-End Application Scenarios and Increasing Product Added Value
Case (Osaka, Japan): The recycling subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Japan uses a high-precision tire pelletizing production line to produce 8mm EPDM rubber pellets. After secondary modification, these pellets were used for the plastic runway paving of Tokyo Olympic venues. The pellets have an elastic modulus of 1.2MPa, 50% higher wear resistance, and a price of €850 per ton, which is 2.5 times that of ordinary rubber pellets.
Extending the Industrial Chain and Expanding Diversified Profit Space
Overseas enterprises have built a diversified application ecosystem through tire pelletizing production lines:
Automotive Industry: Used as filling materials for car floor mats and trunk mats; 35% of the recycled rubber floor mats of Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan are made of these pellets;
Sports Industry: Indoor ski resorts and children’s playgrounds in many European countries use rubber pellets to lay buffer layers, increasing skid resistance by 30%;
Environmental Protection Field: Used as filling materials for anti-seepage layers in landfills; after being used in landfills in California, USA, the leakage rate was reduced by 90%.
III. Selection and Operation Key Points of Tire Pelletizing Production Lines
Equipment Selection by Application Scenario
General-Purpose Production Line (annual output of 10,000-30,000 tons): Suitable for producing 3-10mm general-purpose rubber pellets for roads, building materials, etc.; representative equipment is SSI’s T-1000 (USA), with main material A516Gr70 and investment of approximately €4.5-6.5 million;
High-End Production Line (annual output of 30,000-60,000 tons): Adapted to high-end scenarios such as sports and automotive, requiring precise screening and modification modules; representative equipment is Hammel’s VZ-1500 (Germany), with main material S460ML and investment of approximately €8-12 million;
Small-Scale Customized Production Line (annual output within 5,000 tons): Customized for niche scenarios (such as pet mats and sound insulation materials) to produce 1-3mm fine pellets; representative equipment is Vecoplan’s RG-600 (Italy), with main material Q355D and investment of approximately €1.8-2.8 million.
Key Operation Parameters
Pelletizing Temperature: Barrel temperature is controlled at 120-150°C, and mold temperature is 80-100°C to avoid excessive aging of rubber and ensure pellet elasticity;
Pellet Size Tolerance: ±0.5mm, meeting the precision requirements of high-end application scenarios, with ash content ≤ 0.3%;
Energy Consumption and Efficiency: Energy consumption per ton of rubber pellets is controlled at 220-280kWh, and the daily processing capacity of a single production line can reach 150-200 tons, with a waste rate ≤ 2%.
IV. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to Treat Waste Gas from Tire Pelletizing Production Lines? Equipped with an activated carbon adsorption + catalytic combustion waste gas treatment system, the waste gas treatment efficiency is ≥ 95%, and the non-methane total hydrocarbon emission concentration is ≤ 20mg/m³, meeting the requirements of the EU EN 14403 standard.
How to Ensure the Weather Resistance and Stability of Rubber Pellets? Antioxidants (BHT) and UV absorbers (UV-531) are added during production, which increases the aging resistance of rubber pellets by 60%. They can be used stably for more than 5 years in environments ranging from -30°C to 70°C without cracking or chalking.
What Is the Market Demand and Price Trend of Rubber Pellets Overseas? Currently, the market price of 3-5mm general-purpose rubber pellets in Europe is approximately €380-550/ton, and 8-10mm high-end pellets are €650-850/ton. Demand is growing at an annual rate of 12%, with demand from the sports and automotive sectors accounting for 58%. The market size is expected to exceed €1.5 billion in 2025.
What Are the Core Risk Points of Investing in a Tire Pelletizing Production Line? The core risks focus on two points: First, raw material supply—stable waste tire recycling channels must be guaranteed; overseas enterprises mostly avoid risks by signing long-term recycling agreements with tire manufacturers. Second, technical adaptability—high-end scenarios have high requirements for pellet precision and performance, so production lines with modification modules must be selected to avoid product unsaleability.
The core competitiveness of tire pelletizing production lines lies in “precise pelletizing, high added value, and diversified applications”. From equipment selection to operation management, it is necessary to focus on the three core points of particle size precision, separation efficiency, and environmental compliance to meet the needs of overseas markets while achieving a win-win situation of environmental and economic benefits.
