Mars Mineral – an American manufacturer of agitation pelletizing technology with pin agglomerators, disc pelletizers, and deep drum pelletizers based in Pennsylvania – has been awarded a contract to design and manufacture a new pin mixer for Warsaw, Poland-based Contec S.A., an environmental services company that uses pyrolysis to extract recovered carbon black (rCB) powder grades, as well as pyrolysis oil and recovered steel from waste or end-of-life tires (ELTs). The Mars Mineral pin mixer transforms the rCB powder into pellets, making them ready for packaging and transport to Contec’s end-partner customers. rCB pellets are used in tire, paint, plastics, and rubber manufacturing.

Mars Mineral engineering staff and the Contec team collaborated at Mars Mineral’s pilot production facility in Mars, Pennsylvania, to produce high-quality pellets in a pilot-scale quantity for Contec sales personnel to sample prospective commercial customers.

Krzysztof Wróblewski, CEO of Contec S.A., said, “At Contec, we care about quality and efficiency in every stage of the process. Every single element counts, including those with whom we choose to collaborate. As a worldwide leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality and reliable pin mixers, Mars Mineral was the obvious choice to pelletize our recovered rCB powder straight from the mill. Pelletized rCB is easier to handle, package, transport, and dose than powdered carbon black.”

The Mars Mineral pin mixer is a high-speed conditioning and micro-pelletizing device that converts rCb with the addition of a liquid or additives into small dense agglomerates or pellets in the 0.125mm – 1mm size range, 20g – 50g hardness range. The company offers a pin mixer series with volumetric capacities ranging from 0.28 – 62.3 m3/hr. The pellets can be produced at ambient temperature, which minimizes capital and operational costs, complexity, and environmental impact.

“Through material testing and careful study of the impact of changes in the process control parameters, we were able to provide an operational blueprint for the pin mixer that Contec ultimately purchased,” said Clayton Woodward, president of Mars Mineral. “We’ve been manufacturing pelletizers for over 50 years and are excited about how our technology can give companies, like Contec, and manufacturers everywhere a path to sustainability and a new revenue stream.”

According to a report by the Tire Industry Project for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, one billion ELTs are generated annually, with four billion in landfills and stockpiles worldwide. Due to their nonbiodegradability and bulkiness, landfill disposal of ELTs has been replaced by recycling strategies, like Mars Mineral and Contec technologies.

About Contec

Contec S.A., provides carbon-neutral circular rubber and plastic solutions that deliver low-carbon-footprint products by recovering the carbon black, oil, and steel from waste tires through pyrolysis technologies. Based in Warsaw, Poland, the company enables its partners to decarbonize their supply chains and contribute to a sustainable future where rubber recycled waste can be used as a feedstock instead of fossil fuels.

About Mars Mineral

Mars Mineral is located in Mars, Pennsylvania, 25 miles north of Pittsburgh. The company manufactures agitation pelletizing technology with pin agglomerators, disc pelletizers, and deep drum pelletizers. The process is accomplished without pressure or heat but by the agitation of the material in the presence of a binder, usually water, producing seed pellets from 50 mesh/.297 mm to 1”/25.4 mm in diameter. The company also provides material testing and engineering and technical support.