ACE Laboratories and Abdallah Consulting have launched Vericarb, an independent certification program designed to verify whether materials marketed as recovered carbon black meet defined criteria for rCB. The program combines independent material characterization with rubber performance testing, giving recovered carbon black producers, compounders, manufacturers and investors a standardized basis for evaluating product quality and consistency. Recovered carbon black produced from end-of-life tires through pyrolysis is increasingly considered a potential substitute for virgin carbon black in rubber and polymer applications, but market growth has been constrained by limited standardization and uncertainty around material performance. Vericarb is intended to address this gap by translating analytical data into application-relevant performance information and providing independent third-party verification.

Program targets quality and consistency concerns

ACE Laboratories and Abdallah Consulting developed Vericarb in response to what they describe as a lack of standardized, independently verified performance information in the recovered carbon black market. While rCB can replace part of the virgin carbon black used in rubber compounds, its properties can vary depending on tire feedstock, pyrolysis technology and post-processing methods.

The certification program is intended to provide a more consistent framework for evaluating these materials and to give downstream users greater confidence when qualifying recovered carbon black for commercial applications.

Certification combines characterization and rubber testing

Vericarb certification includes independent material characterization together with rubber performance data. The goal is to provide information that reflects both the physical and chemical properties of recovered carbon black and its behavior in relevant rubber formulations.

The program uses recognized testing methods, including ASTM methods where applicable, while placing additional emphasis on performance data that compounders and manufacturers can relate directly to their applications.

Producers may gain faster customer approval

For recovered carbon black producers, Vericarb is designed to support product qualification and commercialization. Independent testing can help demonstrate how specific material characteristics relate to rubber performance and provide potential customers with standardized information during the approval process.

ACE Laboratories and Abdallah Consulting say this could reduce uncertainty during customer evaluation and increase the likelihood that suitable rCB materials move through qualification more efficiently.

Compounders gain clearer basis for evaluating rCB

For rubber compounders and manufacturers, the program is intended to reduce the amount of initial testing required when evaluating unfamiliar recovered carbon black products. Verified performance data can also help buyers define quality assurance requirements before commercial supply begins.

This is particularly relevant as the tire and rubber industries seek to increase recycled content while maintaining demanding requirements for durability, reinforcement and processing performance.

Vericarb may also support investment decisions

The program is also aimed at investors and project developers in the tire pyrolysis and recovered carbon black sectors. More consistent product characterization can help clarify which material volumes meet commercially relevant quality requirements and reduce uncertainty around customer qualification.

For new tire pyrolysis projects, the ability to demonstrate that recovered carbon black meets defined technical criteria can be important when developing offtake agreements, financing projects and assessing potential revenue from higher-value material markets.

Industry sees certification as step toward stronger rCB markets

Erick Sharp, CEO of ACE Laboratories, said uncertainty around material quality and consistency has slowed development of the recovered carbon black market. He said Vericarb is intended to give producers a way to demonstrate product performance while providing buyers with independent data for purchasing decisions.

Dave Abdallah, founder of Abdallah Consulting, said product performance information remains one of the main barriers to wider rCB adoption. He emphasized that standardized analytical methods are essential but that customers also need to understand how recovered carbon black performs in applications relevant to their own rubber products.

Program supports tire pyrolysis and circular rubber markets

Recovered carbon black is produced from the solid carbon-rich fraction generated during end-of-life tire pyrolysis. After suitable upgrading and quality control, rCB can be used in rubber and polymer applications, helping recover value from waste tires and reduce dependence on virgin carbon black.

By creating an independent verification framework, Vericarb could support greater transparency and confidence across the tire recycling and pyrolysis value chain. The program is jointly administered by ACE Laboratories and Abdallah Consulting and is intended to help move recovered carbon black toward more standardized and commercially accepted material markets.

Information source: Rubber World.