Capturing Tire Wear Particles

London engineering students have developed a device to absorb airborne tire particles

A group of engineering students at the Imperial College London, who call themselves the Tyre Collective, have created a prototype device which attaches to the side of a tire and catches tire wear particles.

According to the students, the patent-pending device is fitted to the wheel and uses electrostatics to collect particles as they are emitted from the tires.

The device was mounted on a test rig and put through a series of tests in a controlled environment, resulting in capture of 60 percent of all tire wear particles from the tire.

The students believe their device is the only one of its kind and are currently patenting it. They have spoken with car companies and local UK transport authorities about using the device in practice.

Although the dangers of air pollution have become more widely recognized, particularly in London and its surrounding environs, the dangers of airborne tire particles are less well understood, members of the Tyre Collective said.

In 2019, the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, which prevents the worst-polluting diesel cars from entering London came into force and will be extended to the suburbs next year.

Once collected, the tire particles can be repurposed for use in other rubber products such as soundproofing material and ink, the researchers said.

To demonstrate the use, the Tyre Collective had their business card printed using ink made from the collected tire wear particles.

© Scrap Tire News, April 2020