The new challenges of end-of-life tyres management systems: a Spanish case study

Directive 2008/98/EC released by the European Union represents a significant step forward in all relevant aspects of waste management. Under the already established, extended produced responsibility (EPR) principle, new policies have been enunciated to continuously achieve better overall environmental performance of key products throughout their life phases. This paper discusses how the directive is being articulated in Spain by the main integrated management system (IMS) for end-of-life (EOL) tyres since its creation in 2006. Focusing on the IMS technological, economic and legal aspects, the study provides a global perspective and evaluation of how the IMS is facing the current issues to resolve, the new challenges that have appeared and the management vision for the coming years.

An universal system to de-orbit satellites at end of life

A 3-year Project financed by the European Commission is aimed at developing a universal system to de-orbit satellites at their end of life, as a fundamental contribution to limit the increase of debris in the Space environment. The operational system involves a conductive tapetether left bare to establish anodic contact with the ambient plasma as a giant Langmuir probe. The Project will size the three disparate dimensions of a tape for a selected de-orbit mission and determine scaling laws to allow system design for a general mission. Starting at the second year, mission selection is carried out while developing numerical codes to implement control laws on tether dynamics in/off the orbital plane; performing numerical simulations and plasma chamber measurements on tether-plasma interaction; and completing design of subsystems: electronejecting plasma contactor, power module, interface elements, deployment mechanism, and tether-tape/end-mass. This will be followed by subsystems manufacturing and by currentcollection, free-fall, and hypervelocity impact tests.

Influence of proportion and particle size gradation of rubber from end-of-life tires on mechanical, thermal and acoustic properties of plaster-rubber mortars

This work presents the main experimental results obtained from the study of plaster test pieces and boards with addition of various volumetric rubber fractions from mechanical grinding of end-of-life tires (ELTs), in three different particle size gradations. It includes a description of the materials employed, and their proportions. The physical and mechanical properties, as well as the thermal conductivity and acoustic insulation properties are analyzed. Experimental results obtained for specimens with addition of recycled rubber are compared with similar ones, carried out on specimens of plaster of identical features without any addition, evaluating the influence of the particle size and mixture proportions. An improvement in thermal and acoustic performance has been obtained as well as a reduction in density, and as a result, some constructive applications for paving and slabs in rehabilitation works are proposed.