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The war in Ukraine and upcoming Ecodesign Regulation as part of reforms under the EU Green Deal resulted in sharp rise in interest in recovered materials. Synthos announces that its collaboration with Swiss company Tyre Recycling Solutions (TRS) is progressing according to plan as it obtained a minority stake in the successful scale-up company following the acquisition of Trinseo's synthetic rubber business at the end of 2021. In addition to the progress Synthos and TRS have made together in the marketplace, resulting in approvals with global tyre manufacturers and initial commercial sales for tyre applications, Synthos and TRS have seen a sharp increase in interest in TyreXol™ recycled rubber. The reasons for this increase are twofold and can be linked to reduced availability of synthetic rubber and carbon black since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, as well as upcoming regulatory changes that are likely to mandate the use of recycled content in tyre production.

Bridgestone Corporation – a global tire manufacturer – announced the launch of a joint research and development program with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tohoku University, ENEOS Corporation and JGC HOLDINGS CORPORATION. This program is aimed at developing chemical recycling technologies that utilize end-of-life tires to achieve high-yield production of isoprene, a raw material for synthetic rubber.

Nokian Tyres says it has been striving to make the world a safer place for decades. In the company’s recent press release, it was announced Nokian reached yet another milestone, as it introduces its most sustainable tire yet. The Nokian Tyres Green Step concept tire is a masterpiece of sustainable innovation with its ambitious design consisting of 93% of the materials either recycled or renewable. It moves the company even closer to its goal: by the year 2030, 50% of all raw materials used in Nokian Tyres’ tires will be recycled or renewable

A new informative webinar about end-of-life tires will be hosted by Trinseo’s Anamaria (Cioanca) Dragan-lesanu, a leading commercial business strategist and sustainability expert, who will be probing beneath the surface with some thought-provoking questions for the speakers. The webinar is a good opportunity for end-users, tire manufacturers, tire recyclers, researchers, investors and regulators to understand how technological excellence, collaboration, partnerships and long-term agendas drive the transformation of the tire industry towards a circular future and help closing the loop on end-of-life tires. The webinar will take place online, on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 09:30 AM Central European Summer Time. To register, proceed to the official event page.

PRISM™ – a recycled rubber and plastic innovation company based in Kirkland, WA, United States – reports that its first-of-its-kind process converts recycled tire rubber into fully functional, sustainable, like-new rubber, attracting $23.5 million in total capital investments since the company’s founding in 2019. The latest round of investment comes from Seattle-based Columbia Pacific Advisors and the Baty Family. The new investment will provide PRISM™ the capital to expand their operations as well as their research and development efforts. Based in Kirkland, Washington, PRISM™ Worldwide has developed a patented clean technology that converts 100% of end-of-life tires (ELT) into functional, sustainable, like-new rubber and plastic polymers. The resulting product is called PRISM Thermoplastic Rubber (PTR™) and is used in the manufacture of a number of rubber and plastic products. This unique process is the result of thirty years of research and refinement inspired by the path to sustainability in the circular supply chain.

On August 5, 2021, a press release by McDermott International informed announced the company has been awarded a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract from the Michelin Group in France for an innovative waste tire technology enabling large-scale production of recycled carbon black—a key ingredient in advancing the next generation of sustainable tires. This award follows a similar FEED announcement in April, which is focusing on the production of regenerated styrene to make synthetic rubber for tires. Incorporating Scandinavian Enviro Systems' licensed pyrolysis process, a technology that separates bulky waste into raw materials for repeated production, the implementation of this waste-to-value solution further advances Michelin's commitment to building a circular economy and increasing the demand—and availability—of sustainable materials.

In our last article (Part I) we addressed the question of how the advantages of a classic batch-reactor process design can be combined with those of a continuous process mode. In the current article (Part II) we address some characteristics and advantages of a batch reactor regarding the thermochemical reactions and their effects on the end products. We refer to the extensive scientific literature and to the findings of successful companies in the industry.

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical pathway to treat vulcanized rubber for the recovery of valuable products. It involves the decomposition of the rubber at high temperatures (400 – 900°C) in the absence of an oxygen atmosphere. The main products of pyrolysis are a solid fraction, usually raw carbon black (according to ASTM D8178); a liquid fraction comprised of light oil, heavy oil, and tar; and a gas fraction. [Ramirez-Canon et. al., 2018]

EcoTech Recycling’s patented thermodynamic process turns waste rubber into a nontoxic synthetic material for new tires, auto parts and insulation. The company produces the Active Rubber (AR), from end-of-life tires. “AR is a substitute for synthetic rubber that can be used to make new tires, automotive parts or an inner wall and flooring insulation called ECOINSUL that we developed ourselves.”