Waste tires as a source of valuable chemicals

The aim of the study was to determine the possibility of the isolation of valuable chemical compounds from pyrolysis oil obtained from the pyrolyzed waste car tires. Produced pyrolysis oil were subjected to a distillation process to isolate medium naphtha fraction average naphtha that contains limonene, which according to the literature data, can be used as an environmental friendly solvent in a number of cleaning agents. Considering the boiling point of limonene (176°C), the medium fraction of the separated oil was re-distilled to isolate compounds with temperature of boiling point between 174-177°C. The prepared sample was analysed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy. Based on the chromatographic analysis, it was found that in a separate sample of pyrolysis oil the highest share constituted toluene, and then cyclobutane, benzene derivatives, which is essential in the chemical industry. The share of limonene was low (approx. 1%), what is explained by too high temperature of the pyrolytic process. The results of analysis and literature allow unequivocally state that in order to separate specific compounds from pyrolytic oil, parameters of this process should be first determined in pilot studies. In conclusion, it is believed that the pyrolysis of tires is suitable method of disposing of the waste, thereby obtaining products containing valuable compounds for the fuel and chemical industries.