Continental signed a long-term purchase agreement with Pyrum Innovations, a company specializing in the thermolysis technology of end-of-life tires, to acquire high-quality recovered carbon black (rCB).
The rCB will be used in the series production of passenger car tires by Continental, marking a significant step in the ongoing collaboration. This partnership, which began with a development agreement in 2022, focuses on optimizing and expanding the recycling of end-of-life tires through pyrolysis.
Carbon black is a crucial material in tire manufacturing and other industrial rubber products due to its ability to enhance stability, strength, and durability. By utilizing carbon black recovered from end-of-life tires, Continental aims to reduce the dependency on fossil raw materials and lower CO2 emissions.
In Continental’s passenger car tires, the carbon black content ranges from 15 to 20 percent, depending on the model. The integration of recycled carbon black aligns with Continental’s objective to incorporate more than 40 percent renewable and recycled materials in their tires by 2030.
“Recycled raw materials are increasingly vital in our tire production. To enhance the circularity of our products, we need to shift our perspective. We must transition from an ‘end-of-life’ to an ‘end-of-use’ tire concept. This means viewing the end of a tire’s intended use as the start of a new opportunity. Together with Pyrum, we are developing highly efficient processes to recycle as many components and materials as possible from end-of-use tires back into our production cycle,” stated Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires.
Continental’s tires already incorporate recycled materials such as rubber from mechanically processed end-of-life tires, steel, and polyester from PET bottles, which are often discarded in incinerators or landfills.
Tire recycling demands advanced technologies and processes to efficiently separate, clean, and recycle materials without compromising the safety and quality of the recycled tires or materials. Ensuring safety remains Continental’s top priority.
Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations stated, “The expansion of our partnership with Continental is a significant milestone for us. To enable Continental to use our recovered carbon black in the series production of passenger tires, we are continuously enhancing its development as part of our collaboration. Together, we have already achieved success by integrating our sustainable carbon black into all newly produced forklift tires at Continental’s tire plant in Korbach, Hesse”.
As reported by rubberworld.com, Continental’s ambitious sustainability strategy aims to use 100 percent sustainable materials in its tires by 2050. Recycled materials will play a crucial role in this initiative, forming part of a closed-loop system where end-of-life tires become the raw material for new tires.
