GREEN CARBON

Rome, Georgia

Process Description

Raw Material

Tires are received at the plant via truck and unloaded into a controlled outdoor storage area.

The maximum daily processing capacity of the facility is per day.

Whole tires are placed in the reactor therefore the quantity will depend on the tire size which can 

vary from 20 lb passenger tires to 2500lb mining tires.

The tires are put into the reactor via belt conveyor or a telehandler.

Thermal Reactor Operations

The TC reactor system thermally depolymerizes waste tires in an oxygen-free, externally heated 

reaction vessel. The external walls of the reactor are heated by PLC controlled burners that

are fueled by natural gas and 100% of the synthetic gas derived from the process.

The burners are controlled to produce a heating curve with predetermined temperatures over

time so as to optimize the quantity and quality of the byproducts. This temperature

will range between F and F.

The reactor system is totally closed to the atmosphere and is operated under 

a negative pressure between and psi. 100% of the gas and oil generated by the process

is captured and stored for sale or utilized as a fuel to heat the reactor.

The facility will have one cylindrical steel reactor that rotates during the heating and

cool down process. Rotating the reactor facilitates homogeneous heating of the feed stock.

The total production cycle, including loading, heating ,cool down, and unloading will take 

12 hours. During the heating and cooling down cycle the reactor system is monitored in an 

environmentally controlled central control room.

Recovery of Oil and Gas

As the reactor heats up it will begin to produce gas vapors that are pulled from the reactor

under a vacuum created by a gas compressor/pumping device. As the vapors travel 

through an external cooling circuit, they will condense and separate from the vapor

stream at different temperatures. The heavy oil is first to separate. It is collected in a 100 gallon

holding vessel and later pumped to a storage tank with a capacity of 2000 - 5000 gallons.

The typical viscosity index of this oil is 40. The vapors continue through a set of 4 water cooled

condensers where the separation of the light oil takes place. This oil is collected in an

intermediate holding tank with approximately 1000 gallons capacity. The viscosity index of

this oil is 14 ( very much like a diesel fuel). The oil is later pumped to a storage tank with capacity 

of 2000-5000 gallons.

The vapors that remain travel through an oil scrubber and are pumped to 600 gallon syn gas

tank. This tank holds the synthetic gas that is mixed with natural gas at the reactor burners.

A secondary tank with 800 gallon capacity is located outside the building. This tank will hold

additional quantities of syn gas until it is used to heat the reactor

Carbon Black and Steel Handling

The reactor can be stopped for removal of the carbon black and steel when it reaches a temperature

of F or less. At this time the reactor is purged with Nitrogen to lower the LEL ( lower Explosion Limit) 

to a save level. The carbon black is now removed with a vacuum system equipped with a 100hp

vacuum pump and a hepa filter unit. The reactor is started and turns as the vacuum control circuit

alternates between a vacuum cycle and a dump cycle. It dumps the material from the vacuum 

hopper into a 3000 lb capacity bulk bag. The bag is then weighed and stored in an enclosed

area permitted by the EPD. The vacuum circuit is well sealed from the atmosphere to eliminate

leakage and minimize exposure.

The reactor door is now opened and the steel wire is removed. This is done with a telehandler

equipped with a hydraulic clam. The clam is extended into the reactor and the wire mass is

clamped and lifted out. It is then placed in a hydraulic press wire baler. The wire is compressed

into a bale approximately 2 cubic foot in size . It is then weighed and placed in a dedicated scrap

dumpster for sale to a scrap metal dealer.
GREEN CARBON

Rome, Georgia

Process Description

Waste water and Emissions

The light oil condensers are cooled to by circulating water through the condenser water jacket . The 

cooling water is circulated through one of two redundant evaporative cooling towers by one

of two redundant water pumps. There is no waste water stream from the cooling circuit. Water

is evaporated off in the cooling towers and made up by adding water to a holding tank 

within the cooling circuit.

The flue gas and air quality in the reactor building was tested at the Rome, Georgia facility

in June 2012. An out site testing firm ( Advanced Industrial Resources Inc.) completed the testing

over a two day operating period. Their results showed that the SO2 and VOC levels were below

the Permit Threshold limits. These results show that no flue gas scrubber or thermal oxidizer

is needed to operate our reactor system.

Lab Operations

 All testing will be done by the Rome Georgia Green Carbon

Lab or an independent lab.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Periodic cleaning of the process piping and tanks will be necessary. This should occur about four to

six times per year and will generate approximately 3000 gallons of oily water. This water will be removed

by vacuum trucks operated by a certified waste disposal service.
GREEN CARBON

Rome, Georgia

1

5

5

3

2 6

3

3, 4, 5, 6

4

1

1

NOTES:

1 ‐ Fugitive emissions ‐ carbon black

2 ‐ Stack emissions ‐ carbon black

3 ‐ Fugitive emissions ‐ light oil

4 ‐ Stack emissions ‐ light oil

5 ‐ Fugitive emissions ‐ heavy oil

6 ‐ Stack emissions ‐ heavy oil

Tire Vapor Thermal Recovery (VTR)  Process Flow

1 Batch

Feed stock :

2180 Kg Rubber Tires

per batch

(composition: 82% C, 8% H,

Heavy Oil

Cooling  Tower

100 Gallon Heavy Oil  

collection   tank Light Oil  

Condenser

1300 Gallon Light Oil

collection tank

760 Kg

Carbon Black

powder

218 Kg  Steel

Tire wire

Dedicated  18,000 Kg

scrap steel

dumpster

1360 Kg capacity

bulk bag

2000 gallon  

storage tank

2000 gallon  

storage tank

100hp Industrial

filter vacuum w/

discharge hopper

5000 gal

Tanker

Truck

(2)  20 x 50 ft

enclosed storage

areas