MINING TYRES
Salvadori patents 63 in tyre shearing technology
Salvadori Srl , a leader for end of life tyre and conveyor belt recycling technologies , has announced that the US Patent Office has issued a patent for its MT-Rex ® Tire Shear created to downsize tyres up to a 63 in diameter . The patent acknowledges Salvadori ’ s proprietary system , which positions the tyres and the shearing mechanism to handle the extreme demands of downsizing OTR tyres .
Asked what was the initial source of inspiration behind MT-Rex concept , Samuel Salvadori , the inventor of MT-Rex , says : “ Simplicity was the key . Back in the day , there were very complex solutions trying to address the need of downsizing huge mining tyres . My goal was to bring many components in a single machine and make the process simple and safe . This is how MT-Rex was born .”
Salvadori MT-Rex it says is the first fully automated system capable of managing tyres up to 63 in and provides a continuous flow of clean and standardised sized tyre chunks . With a processing time of less than one hour for a 63 in tyre , when continuously operated , MT-Rex can downsize more than 7,000 tyres per year and consistently feeds more than 35,000 t per year of clean and regularly cut pieces to a traditional shredding line .
According to Andrea Pitto , Salvadori Sales Manager : “ All Salvadori solutions focus on waste to value systems to enhance our clients ’ business and bottom line . A mining operation can convert a high-risk eco-liability into a valuable resource , while driving sustainability and playing an important role in the circular economy .”
Kal Tire facility in Antofagasta set for full start up
Kal Tire says its new off-the-road ( OTR ) tyre recycling facility in Antofagasta , Chile , is getting closer to full start-up . In March 2021 one of two thermal conversion reactors had successfully completed commissioning and was undergoing full load tests to process 20,000 kg ( 20 t ) of tyres , the equivalent of five 63 in tyres . Commissioning of the facility ’ s second reactor was nearly complete and full production is in sight .
“ Kal Tire is committed to solving one of our customers biggest challenges with scrap tyres – the disposal of them ,” says Dan Allan , Senior VP , Kal Tire ’ s Mining Tire Group . “ There have been many learnings to get to this stage , but we wanted to ensure we were building a recycling facility to the highest standards in every aspect of design , safety and environmental considerations . These are exciting milestones for everyone involved and I would like to thank all those we continue to receive support from – the Chilean Government , our customers and several tyre manufacturers and rubber producers .”
Determined to provide a scrap tyre solution at the top of the recycling hierarchy in Chile , where mining tyre legislation was taking root , in 2015 Kal Tire began the arduous process of studying , engineering and even building the equipment so it could offer thermal conversion recycling . The process uses heat and friction to induce a reaction that converts tyres into their base elements ( fuel oil , steel and carbon black ) so they can be reused .
Located in the heart of Chile ’ s mining industry , which Kal Tire has been serving for decades , the
20,000 m 2 Antofagasta plant consists of an inventory area for scrap tyres , cutters to reduce them in size , two reactors , oil storage tanks and carbon storage . In late 2020 , the first reactor passed its ‘ wet test ’, followed by numerous other tests . Full load tests are now underway for the first reactor to process 20 t of tyres . The equivalent of five 63 in tyres will be converted into 6,500 litres of alternative fuel , 4,000 kg of steel and 8,000 kg of carbon black as well as enough synthetic gas to fuel the plant itself for seven hours .
Local companies are already lined up to receive these reusable products . “ To have the first reactor successfully commissioned is a significant achievement because it means we can now confidently work toward full operation for our customers , who have been very supportive of this project ,” says Pedro Pacheco , Vice President Operations , Latin America . “ In particular , Antofagasta Minerals SA and Minera Los Pelambres have been very supportive ... becoming the first mining company in Chile to recycle their ultra-class mining tyres with us . We also spent a lot of time working with the Chilean government to receive environmental certification . Their level of due diligence is commendable , and we want to recognise their leadership in creating this legislation .”
When it comes to safety , consideration has been given to every possibility . A large water reservoir and numerous water cannons were installed along with infrared sensors and a special fire encapsulation ingredient . With earthquakes common in Chile , the facility has been engineered to withstand a magnitude 9.0 earthquake . Automation is also being employed
Dan Allan – SVP , Kal Tire Mining Group
Dan Allan had this to say on the company ’ s pioneering OTR tyre recycling facility : “ We are happy that we are where we are today . But this journey for us started over five years ago now – at that time we didn ’ t know what we didn ’ t know , and we didn ’ t have any customers confirmed as they were all waiting to see would happen with regulations . However , we pressed ahead and managed a schedule for the technology , the engineering , the legislation , the compliance issues and so on . We had some insight in that we were engaged with the Chilean government so we knew to some extent what the legislation was going to look like – though of course it was originally set to be enacted in 2021 not 2023 . We had already brought all the equipment in-country and finalised the environmental certification in 2021 . But of course we are glad to now be in this position and the first in one of the world ’ s leading mining countries . We are liaising with multiple potential customers and partners , including Antofagasta Minerals Los Pelambres , our first customer sending us scrap tyres , but also most of the other major operators with mines not only in the Antofagasta region but also elsewhere in Chile . And as we see customer demand ramp up we have the option to triple the capacity at the facility . That said , we have started on this scale to allow us to be agile and to address specific customer needs on a mine by mine basis , including logistics issues and everything else .”
64 International Mining | JULY 2021