As reported by the European Rubber Journal (ERJ) this January, an Irish materials technology start-up said it had made significant progress in chemical tire recycling, unveiling a process capable of recovering up to 98 percent of materials from end-of-life tires, including rubber, recovered carbon black, steel, and textile fibers.

Speaking at the Future Tire Conference 2025 in Prague, Addible chief technology officer Dr. Fergal Byrne explained that the company’s proprietary OxyCycle technology relied on an oxidative devulcanization process using TMO2, which he described as a mild, bio-based oxidant combined with a solvent system.

Founded in Ireland in 2020, Addible had been developing an intellectual property portfolio focused on solving complex materials challenges, with tire recycling positioned as a core application. Byrne said the company’s approach aimed to overcome long-standing limitations of mechanical recycling by chemically breaking sulfur crosslinks while preserving polymer value.

According to Byrne, the OxyCycle process was structured around four main stages. In the initial step, shredded or whole tires were introduced into the TMO2 solvent. Because vulcanized rubber was cross-linked by sulfur, it did not dissolve but instead swelled within the solution.

This swelling effect enabled the selective extraction of processing oils, plasticizers, and waxes into the solvent. Byrne noted that approximately 10 to 15 percent of the tire mass was removed during this first phase, improving downstream material recovery and preparing the rubber for further devulcanization.

Addible said the process allowed rubber, carbon black, steel, and textile components to be separated and recovered at high yield, positioning oxidative devulcanization as a potential pathway toward full tire circularity. The company added that its technology could support more sustainable rubber supply chains by reducing reliance on virgin materials and lowering the environmental impact of tire disposal.

To read the full article, please proceed to the European Rubber Journal.