The pilot facility in Monterrey will initially convert 1 million end-of-life passenger tyres to recovered carbon black. Operations are slated to commence by the end of CY2024, while the company also has plans to add a second train in the future to double the capacity.

Northern Mexico has long struggled with the challenge of end-of-life tyre (ELT) disposal. Decades of improper waste management have led to an accumulation of over 20 million waste tyres, many of which are left in municipal dumpsites or landfills. These discarded tyres pose not only an environmental hazard but also a significant public health risk as they can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other disease-carrying pests.

Local governments have ramped up efforts to address this crisis, but the scale of the problem requires long-term, systemic solutions. Innovent Renewables’ new facility in Monterrey is poised to play a key role in this effort. The facility will transform waste tyres into valuable resources such as recovered carbon black and will help reduce landfill reliance, cut carbon emissions and provide a sustainable alternative to the traditional methods of carbon black production.

The pilot facility represents a significant milestone for the recycler as it sets out to address the growing environmental challenge of ELTs in the region. Initially slated to process 1 million waste passenger tyres annually, the facility will convert these tyres into high-quality recovered carbon black, oil and steel. With operations scheduled to begin by the end of calendar year 2024, the company is also looking ahead with plans to add a second processing train to double its capacity in the near future. This expansion marks a critical step in tackling the 20 million-plus tyres accumulated in Mexico’s northern areas while offering sustainable solutions for industries seeking to reduce their carbon footprints.

“This facility represents a vital step forward in addressing the enormous environmental burden posed by tyre waste in northern Mexico. We’re not only reducing waste but converting it into materials that industries can use in a circular and sustainable manner,” said Chief Executive Officer Vibhu Sharma.

Extracting value

The tyre recycling process based on pyrolysis begins with the shredding of end-of-life tyres, which are then fed into a main reactor where they undergo pyrolysis, a high-temperature process in the absence of oxygen.

This results in the breakdown of tyre material into pyrolysis gases, oil and recovered carbon black. The gases are recycled within the system for energy recovery or flared off, enhancing energy efficiency.

The pyrolysis oil is condensed and purified, followed by distillation into high-value chemicals for industrial applications. Meanwhile, recovered carbon black, a solid by-product, is processed through milling and polishing for reuse in manufacturing. This design demonstrates an energy-efficient method of converting waste tyres into valuable products such as fuel, chemicals and carbon black.

“Firstly, we have a proprietary continuous pyrolysis process that ramps up and cooks the tyres to decompose them in a particular way. We also use specially designed agitator to ensure uniform decomposition to oil and carbon black. This ensures higher surface area and quality of the RCB. We designed a proprietary polishing unit that crushes that RCB coming out of the reactor and then polishes it to remove metal oxides and silica. We have several equipment in place to capture steel particles in the RCB. The final product still has some amount of silica and metal oxides, but the purity and uniformity of the RCB is much higher,” said Sharma.

Addressing demand

As industries worldwide strive to meet decarbonisation goals, the demand for sustainable alternatives to carbon-intensive materials have surged. Recovered carbon black fits squarely into this trend, offering a viable option for companies looking to reduce environmental impact while maintaining performance characteristics.

Innovent Renewables’ order book reflects this growing interest. The company has secured letters-of-intent from several major tyre manufacturers as well as companies in the printing ink, rubber and paint sectors.

“Increasingly, companies are looking for sustainable solutions that allow them to reduce their carbon footprints without sacrificing the quality of the products. Our RCB gives them that opportunity. It’s a win-win for both industry and the environment,” said Sharma.

He added, “We see the Monterrey facility as just the beginning. As we prove the viability of our process and stabilise operations, we’ll be able to scale up production not just here in Mexico but potentially in other regions around the world that are dealing with tyre waste issues. There’s a huge global need for solutions like this.”

Sustainable vision

According to Sharma, the company’s goal is to provide a circular solution for industries that are serious about sustainability. “It’s not just about the recovered carbon black; we’re also helping companies reduce their reliance on virgin oil and steel by offering them high-quality, recycled alternatives. This allows them to achieve carbon credits and decarbonisation targets while contributing to a cleaner environment,” noted Sharma.

While tyres remain the primary focus, the company is already working to expand its applications into other industries by targeting sectors such as rubber gaskets, printing inks and paints to tap into new growth markets.

It is also finding ways to repurpose the other by-products of its pyrolysis process. The oil extracted from the tyres can be used as fuel or as a raw material for various industrial applications, while the recovered steel can be sold back to manufacturers, creating a fully circular model that maximises resource recovery and minimises waste.

“We’re proud to be part of the solution to one of Mexico’s most pressing environmental issues. But this is just the start. Our vision is to become a global leader in the circular economy, providing industries around the world with the materials they need to build a sustainable future,” Sharma concluded.

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. and Zeon Corporation have decided to work together to build a bench facility to showcase technologies for efficiently making butadiene from ethanol made from plant-based and other sustainable sources. Zeon's Tokuyama Plant in Sunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, will house the plant, which is expected to start up in 2026. It will make it possible to produce a specific quantity of butadiene and make it easier to gather the many types of data needed to develop mass manufacturing.

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) chose two research and development themes in 2022 for its project, ‘Development of Technology for Producing Raw Materials for Plastics Using CO2 and Other Sources’, which is one of the Green Innovation Fund Projects of NEDO. This initiative is in line with one of those themes. The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), National University Corporation Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Institute of Technology) and the national research and development agency RIKEN are working together to develop two technologies that will allow for the highly efficient production of butadiene and isoprene from plant-based and other sustainable materials in the 2030s. Zeon and Yokohama Rubber are working towards the social implementation of these technologies. The bench facility to be installed at the Zeon plant is part of initiatives based on the theme ‘Highly Efficient Butadiene Synthesis Using Ethanol’.

The experiment at the new bench facility will show how to use a very effective catalyst to turn ethanol made from plant-based and other sustainable materials into butadiene. This will be the first stage in establishing the technology's use for the large-scale manufacturing of synthetic rubber from plant-based and other sustainable ingredients. From the butadiene produced at the bench facility, Zeon will create a prototype polybutadiene rubber (butadiene rubber). Yokohama Rubber will use the butadiene rubber to create prototype tyres and test the tyres' performance to gather information for a larger-scale technology demonstration.

Tyros B.V., a start-up company focused on the recycling of end-of-life tyres, is all set to move into a 2-hectare pyrolysis plant on the former UCB site in the port area of ​​Ostend, Belgium.

Tyros, which was established in May 2024, is investing in an electric pyrolysis reactor with the support of the Flemish government (EUR 1 million in strategic ecology support). Every year, 9,125 tonnes of rubber granulate will be transformed into important primary components including syngas, pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black by this reactor. These basic materials end up in a number of industries, such as energy, petrochemicals, automotive and ink manufacturing. When compared to the conventional burning of rubber granulate, the usage of this technique is said to prevent the emission of over 21,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Over time, the facility will process 100,000 tonnes of tyres a year, of which 18,000 tonnes will be pyrolysed on-site. This will yield 6,800 tonnes of recovered carbon black and 5,000 tonnes of pyrolysis oil, two essential raw materials for circular applications. It is important to note that 100,000 tonnes per year is quite near to the total amount of tyre waste produced in Belgium.

Trucks will supply the tyres, and containers carrying the shreds will be carried by waterway for additional processing, which may need a feeder service between Ostend and Antwerp. The circular economy in the area is strengthened and marine traffic at the port is facilitated by this sustainable logistics concept. Tyros will generate dozens of new employment both directly and indirectly.

Construction of Sweden's first full-scale tyre recycling facility, using Enviro's patented pyrolysis technology, is advancing steadily since breaking ground in mid-February 2024.

According to recent contractor updates, the project, located outside Uddevalla in western Sweden, has reached several key milestones. Workers have installed L-supports and begun the groundwork for tyre storage facilities. The site's sprinkler system infrastructure, including the main tank and housing, is nearly complete, while interior construction has begun with wall installation and surface finishing.

The facility represents a joint venture between Enviro and Antin Infrastructure Partners, operating under the name Infiniteria, with support from tyre manufacturer Michelin. The plant will utilise Enviro's specialised pyrolysis process to recycle end-of-life tyres.

The contractor highlighted progress through a newly released video showcasing recent developments at the construction site.

The project marks Sweden's first venture into full-scale tyre recycling using this patented technology, signalling a significant step forward in sustainable tyre disposal solutions.

Orion S.A. has secured a long-term agreement with Polish firm Contec S.A. to supply tyre pyrolysis oil to produce circular carbon black, marking a significant step towards sustainable tyre manufacturing.

The speciality chemicals company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, will use the oil to manufacture circular grades of carbon black for tyre and rubber goods manufacturers.

"With the ConPyro TPO supplied by Contec, Orion will be able to make large-scale volumes of circular grades of carbon black that will supply growing demand from the world's leading tyre and rubber goods producers," Orion CEO Corning Painter said. "This is yet another way that Orion is accelerating the transition to a circular economy."

The process involves exposing end-of-life tyres to high temperatures to create a feedstock that can be converted into virgin carbon black. Orion has distinguished itself as the only manufacturer to produce circular carbon black using 100 percent tyre pyrolysis oil as feedstock.

The Warsaw-based supplier's CEO, Krzysztof Wróblewski, emphasised the partnership's significance: "At Contec, sustainability is one of our core values. This partnership is a clear confirmation to the market that the industry is continuously evolving, and the circular economy is no longer just a vision for the future – thanks to the collaboration with Orion, it is becoming a tangible reality today."

The agreement enables Orion to diversify its sources of tyre pyrolysis oil whilst meeting the increasing demand for sustainable alternatives in tyre manufacturing. The company reports that its circular products have demonstrated the capability to replace virgin carbon black in numerous applications.