Tyre debris: A solution against microplastics?!
The number of traffic-related environmental pollutants that have a negative impact on climate and health is endless. A start-up from the UK is now developing a device that will enable the collection of microplastics generated during driving - for the sake of the environment and health.
When it comes to pollution, microplastics are certainly one of the growing threats to the planet. For breathable air, human health and wildlife, but also for the entire ecosystem in general, the accumulation of microplastic in nature is dangerous, he said. A not insignificant part of this comes from transport: namely from tyre abrasion. When braking and rolling, every vehicle - including electrically driven cars - contributes to the creation of microplastics and their dispersal into the environment. The upcoming new Euro7 emissions standard is intended to limit many emissions - including tyre abrasion and thus microplastics.
In this sense, it is then important to find a solution that could reduce and, in the best case, even prevent the creation and spread of these harmful micro-polymers. This is exactly what the British start-up "The Tyre Collective" has been working on. However, this does not want to completely replace the material of the tyres or radically change the chemical composition of the pneumatic structure. After all, it is almost always inevitable that constant use and contact with the road surface will cause the wheels to start crumbling - with consequent damaging loss of material.
Much more, the young company from Great Britain wants to work on a new technology and develop a kind of suction device against microplastics. This could be attached to the underbody of a car, directly behind the tyres, in order to continuously collect the microplastic produced during driving from the air thanks to the interaction between air flow and electrostatic effects. Although the project is still in its early stages, small successes have already been achieved. For example, the prototype proves that it can collect about 60 per cent of the particles per tyre. Certainly, this is a small output compared to regular car operation - where it is estimated that each person generates between 0.23 and 4.7 kg of microplastics just from tyre wear per year. Nevertheless, the test results show an important development for the project.
"In the long term, we want to use our devices in all vehicle segments and integrate them into new electric vehicles worldwide," explains CEO Hanson Cheng. In the initial phase, however, "The Tyre Collective" will mainly target business customers, including delivery and craft companies. This would allow the industry with the most large vehicles to more closely and constantly monitor the operation of the extraction system, as well as potentially prevent already significant amounts of microplastics from polluting vehicles from reaching the air. The collected material should then be emptied from the apparatus' catch basin and reused, for example in "up-cycling" processes.
Before this can happen and the suction device can officially enter the market, further pilots must be successfully completed. New project partners are needed to test the technology until it is fully functional. The company has also not yet announced the price at which the innovative device will be offered.
Ultimately, the project is still a few years away from actually becoming part of the transport world and making it cleaner and more environmentally friendly. If the project is indeed successful, it could undoubtedly play a major role in reducing microplastics. In addition, it could help to realise the targets of the new Euronorm 7 from 2025. And who knows, perhaps the suction device could also declare war on other pollutant particles in the future - and make the difference in environmental protection.