Press Release

Piles of large HD Truck used tires are scattered behind one of PT Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk. or PTBA’s contractor warehouse. Used tires often end up as waste. Most users choose to throw it away. Because recycle cost is higher than the value of rubber recycled. If the used tires were left may cause serious environmental harms. Used tires are not a biodegradable material. 

The recycle to produce synthetic oil is not a new technology. Decomposition process is done by heat with little or no oxygen. Tire will be changed into gas and liquid. One of its compositions is carbon black. It can be 40-60 percent processed into synthetic oil. Tire recycling technology is not only environmentally friendly, but also give economic benefits. 

Initially, used tires must be broken with heating process. The substances are changed into steam in the form of smoke. Smoke will be condensed and morph into liquid. It is the synthetic oil. After the scrap removed from the steel frame, the tires soaked in oil until the rubber softened.  By doing this way, it will not be difficult to separate rubber from the metal content and fiber in it. Later on the rubber is heated into an oven. This stage makes each HD Truck used tires (weight 250 kg) produce 80-100 liters of synthetic oil. 

The synthetic oil selling price is Rp6,000 per liter. each HD truck used tires produced minimal Rp480 thousand or Rp1.9 million for a HD truck (four old tires). Factories to recycle used tires have emerged and scattered in Indonesia. It can be an option for PTBA to solve the used tires problem. An ideal recycle workshop for used tires workshop required 5 tons daily capacity of used tires. Do not run it if the used tires is insufficient. For one month operation, it will cost Rp100 million. 5 tons used tires daily produce 1,600-2,000 liters synthetic oil or monthly 48,000 liters. Estimated monthly turnover is Rp288 million. 

The drawback of used tire recycling technology is generating smoke and odor. If the factory established in residential area would be very disturbing for the residents. But if its built in mine site, will not disturb them.