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Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. (NYSE: OEC), one of the leading global suppliers of specialty and high-performance carbon black, has partnered with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden in a project to develop and produce renewable carbon black (rCB). This collaboration represents an important step towards more climate-neutral carbon black production by replacing traditional carbon black feedstock with pyrolysis oil from biomass oil. Orion plans to convert the biomass oil into carbon black using its small-scale furnace reactor in Kalscheuren, Germany and will explore ways to upscale the process to match market demands. Additionally, using a pilot-scale reactor at its site in Piteå, Sweden, RISE will evaluate the use of electrofuels, such as plasma or hydrogen from electrolysis, as sustainable heat sources for the carbon black process.

In his latest article, Martin von Wolfersdorf – a renown carbon black expert from Berlin – discusses the challenges faced by the recovered carbon black industry, particularly in terms of securing industry support and investment. Von Wolfersdorf notes that while the tire industry has made clear demands for tire sustainability, there could be more investment from tire and carbon black corporations to support the growth of the industry. Martin von Wolfersdorf also highlights the financial challenges faced by start-ups in the recovered carbon black industry, particularly those without an industrial operation. These companies often have more cash-burn than cash-flow, as planning and developing can be costly activities. Even pre-engineering studies required for permits can cost up to €1M. The article emphasizes that these start-ups need more equity investment to sustain their operations.

Over 160 professionals from all over the world attended in Netzsch’ product presentation on "Efficient Fine Grinding of Recovered Carbon Black with Fluidized Bed Jet Mills” this June! The high participation shows that the tire pyrolysis industry is concerned about the value of their products and may be moving towards investment into rCB refinement technology. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the session attests to the fact that operators are looking for ways to refine carbon fraction of their pyrolysis operation in order to reach broader markets and achieve higher prices.

Scandinavian Enviro Systems – a renowned tire pyrolysis equipment manufacturer from Sweden – reports that its production company has now obtained ISO certification in accordance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 regarding the company’s quality and environmental management systems. “Our production has been running in accordance with both certifications for a long time, being certified formally is important in our customer dialogues, as it’s often required,” says Thomas Sörensson, CEO of Enviro.

Global leading tire company Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) has commenced the mass production of its tires utilizing three types of ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) PLUS certified carbon black. The carbon black, derived from end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil, was developed through the Tire-to-Tire Circular Economy Model consortium.

According to its latest press release, Ecolomondo Corporation – a Canadian cleantech company specializing in the commercialization of its Thermal Decomposition Process (TDP) proprietary recycling technology and building and operating turnkey TDP facilities globally – announced that it has secured an offtake agreement for up to 80% of its Recovered Carbon Black (rCB) production from the Company’s Hawkesbury TDP facility.

Bolder Industries increased investment in technical expertise, physical lab space, and its leadership team based on the success of its pilot programs. The Bolder Industries’ plant in Maryville, Missouri, fully commercialized the solution, accepting end-of-life tires at the gate and extracting steel, BolderBlack® (Bolder Industries' recovered carbon black brand), gas, and petrochemicals with a 98% recovery rate and a net-positive energy facility. The company reports that the net effect is a ~90% reduction of environmental impact across the board when considering greenhouse gas emissions, electricity, and water usage, and at a lower price. The company’s press release in May 2020 said Bolder Industries' patent-pending manufacturing process offered all of the petroleum-based products inside of a tire another life, revealing re-use savings.

Two years ago, a severe drought hit the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality on the southern coast of South Africa. Reservoirs were nearly empty, pushing the population of 1.3 million close to “day zero” when water stops flowing from the taps. The region is home to an Orion S.A. facility that produces carbon black – an essential material for the country’s tire industry. The crisis inspired Orion to find a solution that would help the municipality conserve its precious water supply.

Wastefront AS has announced a significant partnership with Weber & Schaer, one of Europe's largest distributors of rubber industry products, for the offtake and on-sale of their Recovered Carbon Black (rCB). According to Wastefront, this agreement secures a fully circular supply chain for end-of-life tires (ELTs) in the UK. The deal initially covers a minimum of 35% of rCB produced at Wastefront's Sunderland plant, with potential for future expansion. By manufacturing renewable fuels and new tires using ELTs and rCB, Wastefront moves closer to its goal of creating a Green Global Industrial Platform. With Weber & Schaer's expertise in rubber, carbon black, plastic, and adhesives distribution across Europe, Wastefront's ELT solution contributes to the global circular economy while expanding into new markets.