Thermal pyrolysis of used tires: The effect of plasma torch power and plasma gases

The disposal of used tires represents an environmental problem. As the heat content of the rubber tires is greater than that of coal, it should be considered as an alternate source of fuel for power generation. The effect of plasma gas and power on the thermal pyrolysis of used tires is experimentally investigated. The results shows that the composition of syngas produced from the used tires significantly depends on the plasma gas and tire feed rates. The heavy metals contained in automobile tires can be concentrated in ash particles during the plasma pyrolysis.