HITEC Luxembourg participated in Recovered Carbon Black Asia 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, marking the company’s first appearance at the Asian edition of the industry event. Over two days, the company engaged with more than 200 professionals from across the recovered carbon black value chain and demonstrated its Individual Pellet Hardness Tester, or IPHT, as a tool for evaluating pellet quality and consistency. HITEC emphasized that reliable batch-to-batch performance remains one of the central requirements for broader commercial adoption of recovered carbon black in tire, rubber and other industrial applications. The company also used the event to strengthen cooperation with regional partners CG Engineering in Thailand and Highest Instruments in China, reflecting growing demand in Asia for quality control, laboratory testing and process monitoring technologies supporting recovered carbon black production.

First participation in Asian rCB event

Recovered Carbon Black Asia 2026 was held in Bangkok alongside Sustainability in Tires and brought together companies, technology providers, researchers and customers from across the recovered carbon black industry.

HITEC Luxembourg said the event represented an important milestone because the company regularly participates in the European edition but had not previously attended the Asian event.

More than 200 industry professionals attended

According to HITEC, more than 200 professionals from across the rCB value chain participated in the two-day event. Discussions focused on one of the sector’s most important commercial challenges: producing recovered carbon black with sufficiently consistent quality for long-term industrial use.

Batch-to-batch consistency remains critical for manufacturers because variations in pellet properties, composition and processing behavior can affect handling, compounding and final rubber performance.

HITEC demonstrates Individual Pellet Hardness Tester

HITEC presented its Individual Pellet Hardness Tester during live demonstrations at the conference. The instrument is designed to measure the mechanical strength of individual carbon black pellets and provide quantitative information on pellet quality.

Pellet hardness is relevant to both virgin and recovered carbon black because pellets must be strong enough to withstand handling, packaging and transportation while still dispersing properly during rubber compounding.

Pellet quality matters for recovered carbon black adoption

Recovered carbon black produced from end-of-life tire pyrolysis must often undergo milling, pelletizing and other post-processing before it can be supplied to industrial customers. The quality of these processing stages directly influences product consistency and usability.

Testing pellet hardness can help producers monitor process conditions, compare batches and identify deviations that could affect downstream handling or rubber processing. Such quality control becomes increasingly important as rCB producers move from pilot production toward larger commercial volumes.

Company highlights consistency as key industry challenge

HITEC said discussions in Bangkok showed that industry participants are increasingly focused on making recovered carbon black a reliable material that customers can use consistently over the long term.

For tire and rubber manufacturers, this requires more than confirming the chemical composition of an rCB product. Physical properties, pellet characteristics, dispersion and reproducibility across production batches are also important qualification parameters.

Regional partnerships support Asian market presence

During the event, HITEC also met with its regional partners CG Engineering in Thailand and Highest Instruments in China. The partnerships support the company’s presence in Asian markets and provide local connections for customers seeking laboratory and testing equipment.

HITEC said the level of technical innovation and sustainability activity observed at the conference indicates that the Asian recovered carbon black market is developing rapidly.

Testing technology supports industrialization of rCB

As tire pyrolysis capacity expands globally, the recovered carbon black sector is placing greater emphasis on standardized testing and consistent product specifications. Industrial customers need reliable analytical and physical data before introducing recycled carbon materials into established formulations.

Equipment capable of monitoring characteristics such as pellet hardness can therefore support quality assurance as rCB moves from emerging recycling technology toward larger-scale commercial supply.

Asian rCB market continues to expand

HITEC’s participation in Recovered Carbon Black Asia reflects growing industry activity in the region, where new tire pyrolysis projects, recovered carbon black upgrading technologies and tire recycling investments are creating demand for more sophisticated testing and quality control.

For the wider tire recycling sector, improved measurement and consistency can help strengthen customer confidence in recovered carbon black and support its use as a circular raw material in tire, rubber and other industrial applications.

Original announcement by HITEC Luxembourg.

Weibold is an international consulting company specializing exclusively in end-of-life tire recycling and pyrolysis. Since 1999, we have helped companies grow and build profitable businesses.