News: Tire Recycling & Pyrolysis

With just under one month to go until Tire Technology Expo 2024 gets underway, the shortlisted nominations for this year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence have been presented. The awards will take place during a drinks and canapes party at Tire Technology Expo on Tuesday March 19 at the Messe Hannover. Some of the shortlisted companies include: ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR – TIRE DESIGN

Tokai Carbon is preparing for a substantial investment in its carbon black business, with plans to commit Yen57 billion (€353 million) over the next 3 years, concluding by the end of 2026. This strategic move is part of Tokai's T-2026 mid-term management plan, aiming to strengthen its core business. The main focus of this investment is to elevate the carbon black and fine carbon units into a "higher value-added business" while also expanding production capacity. Breaking down the investment plan, Tokai intends to invest a total of Yen146 billion across its operations, with Yen57 billion specifically allocated to the carbon black business.

According to the recent Pyrum's press release, the company has reached a new milestone with reactor 2 (TAD 2) of the new plant at its main site in Dillingen/Saar. In the course of the third commissioning run of TAD 2, the first truck with a delivery volume of around 24,000 litres of pyrolysis oil will be sent to BASF this morning. Following the last test run, the pyrolysis oil was carefully tested to ensure that it met all the required specifications. The sampling of the oil was successful, so delivery to BASF can proceed as planned and there are no more obstacles to future deliveries. Around 60,000 litres of oil have already been produced at the new plant and further deliveries are expected in the near future.

In his recent article, Patrick Buder, Sustainability Strategy Manager at Zeppelin Systems, discovers how end-of-life tire recycling is taking a leap towards sustainability with the new process developed by Recykl, a part of the Recykl Group, and facilitated by Zeppelin Systems. In this innovative approach, the textile fibers from discarded tires are transformed into a valuable product known as Smapol, advancing road construction practices.

The foot of the EJ Whitten Bridge in Victoria has become a massive illegal dumping ground for tires, reflecting a statewide trend. Authorities attribute the surge in tire dumping to businesses avoiding recycling fees and rogue operators exploiting recycling schemes. The Department of Transport and Planning has cleared approximately 2500 tires from beneath the bridge, with many remaining on the slope and some falling into the river. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is investigating.

The Recycled Rubber Coalition in Washington unveiled a white paper "An Unexpected Electric Vehicle Environmental Problem With Common Sense Solutions". It examines how the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) will lead to a surge in scrap tires and proposes practical recycling solutions. Comprising organizations and companies in rubber recycling, the coalition stresses the urgent need for effective government policies to support the expansion of recycled rubber markets.

The municipal council of Perl-Besch on the Mosel in Saarland has approved the development plan for the site of the new plant of Pyrum Innovations AG by a large majority. This means that the company has created the necessary prerequisites and can immediately start detailed planning. As a further step towards expanding its own production capacities, Pyrum plans to build a new pyrolysis plant in Perl-Besch by the end of 2025, modelled on the facility at the main plant in Dillingen/Saar with a capacity of 20,000 tons of end-of-life tires per year.

The rubber recycling industry is undergoing significant changes due to environmental concerns and technological advancements. As John Sheerin, senior director end-of-life tire programs at the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), explained, in 2024 USTMA will begin preparation of their 2023 U.S. Scrap Tire Management Report, which will provide additional important insights and update the findings from the organization’s 2021 report.

Pyrum Innovations AG (Pyrum), a pioneer in the sustainable recycling of end-of-life tyres (ELT) based on its patented pyrolysis technology, reports initial successes in the commissioning of the new reactor 2 (TAD 2) at its main plant in Dillingen/Saar. Since the start of the second test run on Tuesday, 30 January 2024, the throughput of the new reactor has already been gradually increased to 75% of the expected output for future series production within a week. This means that industrial quantities of ELT can already be processed in TAD 2 and Pyrum’s technology has provided proof of concept for the planned large-scale rollout. More than 30,000 litres of oil have already been produced and are now being sampled in the laboratory before being delivered to BASF within the next two weeks as planned.