Rubber tires on vehicles wear away and contaminate the environment. This debris contributes to the global microplastics pollution problem. Microplastics pollution with particle sizes less than five millimeters add an estimated eight million tons(1) to the oceans annually. Included are 100,000 tons shed from tires and 40,000 tons from brakes(2). These particles are hazardous when inhaled and ingested and are detrimental to humans and other living species. This problem can be mitigated in part by utilizing a new unique technology, the GelbKo Extraction and Filtration System.

This GelbKo System collects the solids with an engineered extraction surface area located at the source behind the tire, extracts the soluble environmental contaminants for recovery and finally collects the solids in sealed filters for reuse in engineered composites. The GelbKo System is the first novel, practical and affordable technology available that is capable of collecting the full spectrum of wear debris contaminants including the tire decomposition by-products from the disc and drum braking process. Brake wear contaminants can also be collected and recycled. For more information please visit Gelbko.com.

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Problem

Rubber tires wear away and pollute the environment by a number of different mechanisms. The resulting rubber particles have varied characteristics depending upon the type of vehicle and the environment in which they are generated. The tire wear particles, which have unique size distributions, contaminate road surfaces, the air and subsequently our food sources. As a result of the large amount of pollution being generated globally, one technical publication reported that an average person could be ingesting approximately 5 grams of plastic per week. This amount is equivalent to one credit card(3).