Versalis, a chemical company owned by Eni, and one of the world’s leaders in the production and marketing of elastomers has signed an agreement with AGR, a company that owns technology for the devulcanization of post-consumer elastomers. Together, Versalis and AGR are going to develop technological innovations and new products and applications from recycled end-of-life tire rubber.

Devulcanization is process of selectively breaking chemical bonds that transforms objects in solid rubber, usually granulated, into a workable and moldable form, ready to be reused in the production of new products, such as tires or gaskets.

The aim of the agreement is to pool their respective expertise to develop and market a new range of elastomer-based products made from granulated rubber from post-consumer products, thus meeting the growing circular economy needs of manufacturers of tires and other rubber products.

Versalis will make available the laboratories of its research centers in Ravenna and Ferrara, as well as the necessary equipment for development, both in terms of formulation and technology. AGR will make its technological platform available at its plant in Cumiana (Turin, Italy).

The initiative will be developed in collaboration with the EcoTyre Consortium, which manages a national network for the collection and processing of end-of-life tires from which granulated rubber will be obtained.

With this new circular economy initiative, Versalis aims to expand the range of Versalis Revive® products, made of recycled materials. This will include the elastomeric materials segment, in which it is leader in terms of technological and application expertise.

Article by ENI.