[Tech News] ITRI's AI Water Jet Technology Restarts the Journey of Rubber Recycling!

Tens of millions of tons of waste tires are generated globally every year. In the past, traditional processing methods mostly just "shredded" them using machines. However, this shredded rubber powder acts like "dead material." Once aged and hardened, it is very difficult to blend it with new raw materials, so it is often downcycled, buried, or incinerated.

To solve this pain point, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has developed the revolutionary "AI-WaJe™" technology. Without using any chemicals, this technology utilizes ultra-high-pressure and high-speed rotating "water jets" to precisely break down the aged and hardened structure of the rubber at the molecular level. By using AI algorithms to find the optimal water pressure and speed, this technology "wakes up" the waste tires, turning them into high-purity, highly active recycled rubber. It can even be used to manufacture brand-new tires, achieving a truly perfect circular economy!

[Editor MARS's View] Give Technology Some Space, and Waste Can Truly Become Treasure!

Tire recycling has always been a headache. In the past, people felt that the quality of recycled materials was unstable, but technology has truly advanced a lot now. If we can turn "waste" into "safe building materials" for kids to run and jump on every day, that is the most impactful kind of circular cycle. This also proves that as long as the recycling industry is given the space to develop its technology, waste can truly become treasure!

From our front-line practical experience, the market applications for recycled waste tires are becoming increasingly diverse. The clear demands we currently see include fuel rods, rubber running tracks, soundproofing materials, anti-collision materials, integration with concrete breakwaters (tetrapods), and thermal pyrolysis technology. These are all relatively mainstream and highly practical methods today. With the addition of high-tech solutions like water jets, we look forward to developing even more high-quality recycled products in the future to lessen the burden on our planet.