Reclaimed Rubber Plant Equipment Overview
A ten-item equipment list for a reclaimed rubber production plant organised by functional category — from feedstock pre-processing through devulcanisation, refining, and finishing — with key specifications for each item.
| Category | Equipment | Function | Key Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Processing | De-beader | Extracts steel bead wires from tires | 200-400 tires/hour |
| Pre-Processing | Two-Shaft Shredder | Reduces tires to 50-100 mm pieces | 2-10 tonnes/hour |
| Pre-Processing | Granulator | Cuts to 10-20 mm rubber chips | Screen plates control output size |
| Pre-Processing | Magnetic Separator | Removes liberated steel | 99%+ removal with rare earth magnets |
| Devulcanization | Batch Digester (Autoclave) | Steam + chemical devulcanization | 150-200°C, 3-6 bar, 4-8 hr cycles |
| Devulcanization | Twin-Screw Extruder | Continuous thermo-mechanical devulcanization | 160-230°C, 100-500 kg/hr |
| Refining | Two-Roll Mixing Mill | Homogenizes reclaimed rubber | Multiple passes, gap adjustable |
| Refining | Strainer | Removes contaminants | Screen mesh 40-80 |
| Finishing | Sheeting Calendar | Produces uniform sheets | 3-6 mm thickness |
| Finishing | Baling Press | Compresses into standard bales | 25-30 kg bales |
Beyond definitions
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How to read this table
- Rows are organised by functional category — Pre-Processing, Devulcanisation, Refining, Finishing — in process sequence order.
- Key Specifications give the capacity or parameter range most relevant to sizing decisions.
- Autoclave (batch) and Twin-Screw Extruder (continuous) are alternative devulcanisation approaches — most plants use one or the other, not both.
About this table
A reclaimed rubber plant has four functional equipment stages, each with defined equipment items. This overview maps all ten major equipment items, their function, and key specifications — a reference for plant developers comparing quotes, planning CAPEX, and understanding the process sequence.
The Pre-Processing stage has four items. The De-beader removes steel bead wire rings from tyre sidewalls before shredding — necessary because bead wire at high tensile strength would accelerate blade wear in the shredder. At 200–400 tyres per hour, this is typically the highest-throughput stage in the plant. The Two-Shaft Shredder reduces whole tyres to 50–100 mm pieces at 2–10 tonnes per hour. The slow-speed, high-torque twin shafts grab and tear tyre material rather than cutting it, which minimises heat generation. The Granulator reduces shredded chips further to 10–20 mm rubber granules using a rotating blade against screen plates — the screen plate mesh size determines output particle size. The Magnetic Separator (using rare earth magnets) achieves 99%+ removal of liberated steel wire from the granulated rubber stream before devulcanisation — any residual steel would contaminate the reclaimed rubber product.
The Devulcanisation stage has two options depending on the chosen process: the Batch Digester (Autoclave) uses steam and chemical reagents at 150–200°C and 3–6 bar pressure in 4–8 hour batch cycles to break sulfur crosslinks. The Twin-Screw Extruder provides a continuous thermo-mechanical devulcanisation alternative — using temperature (160–230°C) and mechanical shear simultaneously at 100–500 kg per hour. The Refining stage homogenises the devulcanised rubber through a Two-Roll Mixing Mill and screens it through a Strainer (40–80 mesh screens) to remove remaining contaminants. The Finishing stage uses a Sheeting Calendar to produce uniform 3–6 mm sheets and a Baling Press to compress them into 25–30 kg standard bales for transport.
Key insights
- The Batch Autoclave and Twin-Screw Extruder are alternative devulcanisation technologies — the extruder has lower energy use per kg and higher throughput, but the autoclave allows more precise control of devulcanisation conditions for demanding rubber compound applications.
- Magnetic separator efficiency of 99%+ is critical — residual steel in reclaimed rubber contaminates the compound and damages mixing mill rolls in downstream processing.
- Two-Roll Mixing Mill passes determine reclaimed rubber homogeneity — multiple passes at decreasing gap settings produce more consistent Mooney Viscosity than single-pass processing.
- Sheeting and baling are the finishing steps that determine product presentation to buyers — standard 25–30 kg bales are the universal format for reclaimed rubber trade in India.
Methodology & sources
Equipment specifications are indicative ranges for standard commercial equipment as of 2024. Actual capacity and specifications depend on equipment manufacturer, model, and configuration. Capacity ranges (e.g., 2–10 TPH for the two-shaft shredder) span small to medium commercial plant scales. Indian-made equipment is available for most items; imported options are available for high-precision shredding and devulcanisation equipment.
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