Where does the rubber go? 1

[owg]

I read somewhere that in the early days of the pneumatic tire, someone predicted that there would soon be 6 inches or more of rubber dust all over the roads. That did not happen but that 1/4" or more that we are all wearing off our tires must go somewhere. My guess is carbon dust, CO2, and VOC into the air. Does anyone have any data on this?

HAZOP at

http://www.curryhydrocarbons.ca

 

[IRstuff]

It probably gets washed into the ocean eventually.

100 million years from now, we'll be known as the rubber (and trash) layer.

TTFN

 

[Fizzhead]

Owg:

Interesting question. IRstuff has a very good point. Much of that rubber does indeed become a component of roadside dust which is eventually washed into virtually every corner of our environment. I'm not sure what you mean by "carbon dust", but I assume you mean the remnants of the rubber dust after whatever oxidation of other processes that occur after the dust hits the road. I don't remember any definitive studies of this phenomenon, but I do recall a discussion of this question in an environmental engineering seminar several years ago with a Dr. Thibodeaux of the University of Arkansas. He might be able to tell you if anyone has studied this question in detail.

 

[Coolsyntist]

A good way to test the tire-rubber content of road-side dust is to look for zinc metal levels in this dust as all tires have high levels of zinc as an additive. Zinc becomes problematic in the recycling of tires as it builds up in tire burning furnaces.

 

[owg]

Thanks for the thoughts. I mentioned carbon dust because I believe that carbon black is a component of tire rubber.

HAZOP at

http://www.curryhydrocarbons.ca

 

[owg]

Please note that I also posted this question on the Automotice Tire/Wheel Engineering Forum. There are no technical responses there yet.

HAZOP at

http://www.curryhydrocarbons.ca

 

[saxon]

owg, The Tire and Wheel forum probably practices "out of sight out of mind" environmental policy. IR stuff and Fizzhead have the transport vectors well in hand. You ought to be more concerned with the environmental half life of lead accumulation from the old days of leaded fuel or MTBE contamination.

saxon

 

[owg]

saxon - I was just showing a technical interest, not concern. I thought this forum might be a good place to post the question. However I agree there is an environmental subtext to questions posted here.

HAZOP at

http://www.curryhydrocarbons.ca

 

[25362]

The site:

http://vergina.eng.auth.gr/mech/lat/PM10/Tyre wear-tyre and particle composition.htm

may be of help.

 

[owg]

25362 - Many thanks for the great link on tire dust. I haven't seem a mass spec like that since I saw an analysis of the bottoms from a barrel of rum.

HAZOP at

http://www.curryhydrocarbons.ca

 

[Fizzhead]

25362:

Great response. I can't imagine what else one might want in the way of knowledge on this subject. One big star for you buddy. Great job!

 

[25362]

Another viewpoint on the subject:

http://www.goodyear.com/corporate/environment/03-ehs/hottopics.html

 

[owg]

25362 - Thanks for a tire company viewpoint. On quick review I don't see anything inconsistent between the two reports. It is amazing how similar data can be spun in such a different way. There must be a guide book somewhere that advises manufacturers to find something 100 times as bad and then report that they are contributing less than 1%. I would like to see the Sierra club take on this subject. That would certainly be a third viewpoint.

HAZOP at

http://www.curryhydrocarbons.ca

 

[grampi1]

When we lived by one of the major LA freeways, our first apt, we always had black dust all over everything. In all our later houses, the dust is white or grey. Always assumed it was tire dust and was glad to move further away from the freeway.