CDS systems are semi-mobile and containerized consisting of a pyrolysis module integrated with the necessary components to ensure continuous, turnkey operation. What is pyrolysis, you may be wondering, and how does it work?
Pyrolysis is a type of thermochemical process that involves feeding feedstocks to temperatures between 250-800 degrees C in an oxygen free environment. See illustrations below.
In the words of one expert:
“The biomass is essentially ‘cooked’ [but not burned] until various lignin and cellulose products breakdown to produce a hydrogen-rich fuel stream that can either be combusted or condensed for energy generation. The high-carbon product that remains is biochar which has essentially been mined of hydrogen.”
– Dr. John Gaunt, Cornell University
An impressive variety of feedstocks can be continuously fed into the inlet and broken down into a stream of products and coproducts, each with substantial market value. See the illustrated production process for a description of the various stages of operation these systems use in practice.
Simplified view of pyrolysis system in practice
This technology is fully mature and ready for immediate application
Here is an illustration of the process flow from raw feedstocks to the various coproducts:
Once operational, a full-sized unit produces its own power plus an additional thermal energy or electricity (for local consumption or via grid interconnection), where syngas can also be on-converted or condensed into various intermediary forms, such as methane, renewable diesel, etc., or some feedstocks also produce bio-oil (also called “pyrolysis oil”) that can be further processed into transportation fuels.
See Customers or Contact Us to register interest or inquire about system pricing, availability and delivery.Got questions?We can help.
Technical Brief: the symbiotic relationship between soil microbes and plants
The Liquid Carbon Pathway (LCP) is a symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and 90% of all plants that has developed over the past 420 million years. Plants will purposely produce extra carbohydrates (simple plant sugars) then exude that surplus into the soil to feed the fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi cannot live without a host plant and, in exchange for this sugar, the fungi will mine and transport nutrients and water back to its host. For every cubic meter of soil, these fungi will send out as much as 20,000 km (12,000 miles) of hyphae — part of what comprise the fungal mycelium — so that they infiltrate every area of soil. Fungi can access nutrients and water unavailable to the larger plant roots.
Mycorrhizal Fungi — root system of plant
Biochar inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi further sequesters carbon in normal agricultural soils long after its application. At CDS, we call this Micro-charged Biochar™
Nurturing this symbiotic relationship with biochar is essential for long-term climate change mitigation and reversal. One of the most notable results of the shift in weather patterns has been a deluge of rain followed by drought. Not only does the biochar itself absorb more water but it also can establish and nurture the growth of mycorrhizal fungi (see image at left). Mycorrhizal fungi produce glomalin, a sticky substance that cements soil particles together, creating good tilth and passageways for air and water infiltration, allowing soils to absorb and retain more water. Then when drought follows and water become more tightly held by soil particles, it is the fungi that can send its hyphae into the smallest crevices of soil and extract and accumulate molecules of water and transport it back to the thirsty plant.
In a similar way the fungi transport nutrients back to the plant. Fungi can use its acids to release nutrients from soils and even rocks — transforming rock minerals into formats now usable by the plant.
Likewise there are certain nutrients that only bacteria can extract from soils and the fungi will exchange sugar for the nutrient requested by the plant in a complex symbiotic exchange. The study of this relationship has shown that soils under perennial crops that are allowed to fully develop contain more available nutrients than neighboring soils on which agricultural chemicals have been used. A study done at the University of Illinois showed that agricultural chemicals kill or reduce soil microbes resulting in the net loss of soil carbon.
The Liquid Carbon Pathway is the primary means for sequestering long-term soil carbon. It has long been thought that most of the soil carbon was contained in the top 8 inches of the soil strata in the form of the organic matter in humus. It is known that this carbon is liable and easily returned to the atmosphere via bacterial action. Since the discovery of glomalin in 1996 by USDA researcher, Dr. Sara Wright, large amounts of carbon have been found all the way down to 4 feet deep. It is expected, as research goes deeper into soils, that carbon deposits from the LCP will also be scientifically verified.
As the mycorrhizal fungi go deeper into the soil to mine nutrients and water for the plant, they deposit more and more carbon in the form of glomlin — a substance that is believed to be quite stable once it is deposited. The more mature this relationship is between plant and microbe the more volume of soil is accessed on behalf of the plant and the bigger and more reliable is corresponding crop production.
According to research done by Dr. Christine Jones of Australia (view slideshow), pasture soils with healthy LCP associations have been increasing the amount of carbon that they sequester beneath the grasses each year. Currently, some pastures have been sequestering as much as 32 tons of CO2 per hectare/year. This makes biochar even more key to the reversal of climate change because biochar enables this vitally important process. And in areas where all of the mycorrhizal fungi have been killed off, biochar can be inoculated to return them to full productivity.
So in terms of carbon drawdown biochar plays several important functions:
Sequesters carbon draw down by the plant taking it out of the carbon cycle for centuries
Increases crop production and thereby the amount of carbon drawn from the air by the increased biomass
Supports the LCP for centuries so that this plant/microbe symbiosis can remove large amounts of carbon from the air year after year and deposit it in our carbon-starved soils.
Over the past 2-3 years, the market has shifting from “nice idea” to proof-of-commercial viability when faced when stockpiled rubber that otherwise had no profitable and sustainable pathway.
In Europe, 2021 saw the first-ever European Carbon Black Summit, with the joint statement of tire manufacturers, Bridgestone and Michelin committing to creating more sustainable tires. For the second annual summit in June of 2022, tire pyrolysis equipment designer and manufacturer, Klean CEO will be presenting about Recovered Carbon Black.
This summit provides a forum for chemical companies, carbon black manufacturers, carbon black users, plastic & rubber manufacturers, masterbatch processors, and tire manufacturers to hear from the pyrolysis industry veterans, experts, and innovators who will share their perspective of the rapidly growing Recovered Carbon Black market. In addition to information sharing, the Summit reinforces the significance of the industry as a whole and the strides it is making.
“It’s a known fact that the tire industry is the single largest consumer of virgin Carbon Black and that the potential demand for Recovered Carbon Black is currently enormous.“ (Source)
Smart Tire Recycling is proud to be at the forefront of emerging technologies that produce rCB and is excited to see what new information will be shared at the summit.
This method of turning rubber back into the elements of Carbon Black, steel and energy greatly decreases the demand for “virgin” Carbon Black by the producers.
Various US states have begun publicizing and implementing plans to better dispose of and recycle tires. Examples:
Pima County in Tucson, Arizona has started a program that allows residents to drop off up to five times per year in their recycling facilities. (Source)
In North Carolina, Liberty Tire Recycling is opening up a new plant to accommodate an increase in tire recycling needs. The facility will produce rubber mulch and create 30 new jobs. (Source)
In Shreveport, Louisiana, a program called Waste Tire Cleanup Pilot Program has been launched to stop illegal tire dumping. The plan is to educate the local community through various programs about tire dumping and why and how it’s happening. (Source)
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has launched the Tire Environmental Act Program (TEAP). The department will be awarding grants to fund projects that create or expand uses for waste tires. “Such projects include tire recycling and processing, using materials such as aggregate that are derived from tires, initiating research and development in tire management, using tires for alternative fuels or promoting innovation in infrastructure.” (Source)
Mycorrhizal Fungi — root system of plant