Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd., Bridgestone Corporation, Kyushu University and Okayama University have started a technology development project to perform secondary processing on recovered carbon black (rCB) extracted from polymer products like end-of-life tyres containing rubber in order to create new eco carbon black (eCB) from these and other sources. With rubber reinforcing qualities comparable to those of virgin carbon black (vCB), which is made from coal and petroleum, the initiative seeks to transform these resources into eCB. Through the development of cutting-edge recycling technologies, the collaborative project partners want to contribute to the attainment of a circular economy and carbon neutrality.

This project is a component of the ‘Technology Development for Carbon Recycling from Polymer Products Including End-of-Life Tires’ demonstration programme, which was put out by Tokai Carbon in collaboration with Bridgestone, Kyushu University and Okayama University. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) chose the project on 23 December 2024, under the heading of ‘Green Innovation Fund Project/Technology Development for Manufacturing Plastic Raw Materials Using CO₂ etc’.

In order to recover and utilise rCB, efforts are already in progress to pyrolyse polymer materials, including rubber from tyres that are nearing the end of their useful lives. Nevertheless, there are still obstacles to overcome before rCB may be used practically in new tyres. Because it contains so many contaminants, rCB performs worse than vCB when it comes to rubber reinforcement. Additionally, heat recovery produces CO2 emissions even if many end-of-life tyres are successfully used as fuel. The demand for tyres is predicted to increase in tandem with the projected expansion in the automotive and transportation sectors. The goal of these initiatives is to improve resource circulation by making it easier to recycle vCB, a crucial component of tyres.

Bridgestone, Kyushu University and Okayama University's knowledge and technologies will be combined with Tokai Carbon's own technologies and skills gained from manufacturing carbon black. The goal of the collaborative project is to create technologies that will eliminate impurities from rCB and create eCB with better rubber reinforcing qualities. By fiscal year 2032, the initiative aims to set up a demonstration unit that can produce 5,000 tonnes of eCB annually. The research will also concentrate on creating unique polymer/carbon composites that allow carbon black to be reused without pyrolysing tyres that have reached the end of their useful lives. With these efforts, the collaborative project participants hope to achieve enhanced recycling of scarce materials and contribute to lowering the CO2 emissions linked to the manufacturing of carbon black and the recycling of end-of-life tyres.

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.