Nano Technology Tyre Recycling Firm Secures Funding

12 November 2012 London based environment investment firm, Iona Capital has completed an investment in Yorkshire based waste tyre and UPVC recycling specialist, Gradena which will manufacture highly homogeneous wood replacement goods using a patented nano surface intensification process. More Waste Management World Articles VIDEO 15,000 Tonne Tyre Blaze at Yorks Recycling Facility Visible from Space Tackling Tyre Waste VIDEO: Microwave Energy Cuts Tyre Recycling GHG Emissions New Recycling Machine to Pulverise and Devulcanize Tyre Waste from Pallmann £80m Tyre Recycling Pyrolysis Project Struggling to Finance Teesside Plant Cutting the Risk of Landfill Fires Largest Tyre Recycling Facility in UAE Nano Technology Tyre Recycling Firm Secures Funding Gradena itself is a Joint Venture company between London based sustainability consultancy, Gradsol and nano technology solutions provider, Dena Technology, which has developed a technology that uses nano particles of rubber to produce a new 'wood replacement' product using micronized rubber for process intensification. Iona explained that the EU Landfill Directive prohibited the disposal of whole tyres in landfill back in July 2003, and was extended to cover shredded tyres in July 2006. With this ban in place, Iona said that it is helping to develop new facilities for the re-use and recycling of waste tyres, and that its investment is an important step in supporting tyre recycling technology that creates no harmful emissions and recycles all by-products. According to the investment company, Gradena is planning to process around 1200 tonnes of waste tyres in its first year, and increase this number by installing more production lines. Iona also claimed that the end product can be moulded and cut into a wide range of shapes to meet customer needs and will have specific physical and chemical properties that make it more desirable than natural alternatives. Dr Brian Sulaiman, inventor of the technology behind the process explained that the blending of nanomaterials with waste rubber and UPVC leads to the creation of a new material that has a very wide range of potential properties. According to Iona the wood replacement product will be far less susceptible to degradation from adverse conditions such as heat, cold, dampness, wind, insects and UV, and at the end of their life will be able to be recycled into yet more new products. Nick Ross, Director of Iona Capital, said: "Iona is fully committed to providing funding for the development of environmental projects which help to achieve the zero waste to landfill target. This project is an excellent example of supporting leading edge technology and producing value added products which overcome the growing issue of waste tyres." "The main selling point of the end products is that they are much more durable than their traditional counterparts and they provide considerable additional commercial benefits," explained Robert Paley, finance director at Gradsol. Read More High Value Organic Compounds from Waste Tyres at Prototype Fractionator Plant Dynamic Energy Alliance Corporation has initiated the prototype phase of a four-phase operating plan to commercialise technologies which extract high value organic compounds from waste tyres. The Only Way is Essex for Veolia's First Plastic Recycling Plant Veolia Environmental Services Environmental Services has opened a new £5 million plastic recycling facility in Rainham, Essex, which will process 50,000 tonnes per year into nine streams. Metal Recycling Campaign to Reach Every House in Kent A marketing campaign to boost the kerbside capture rate for metal packaging has been rolled out across all 12 of Kent's local authorities by MetalMatters and the Kent Waste Partnership. Free Magazine Subscription Free Email Newsletter