Bridgestone and its partners are leading the charge in advancing recovered carbon black (rCB) production and performance. As the tire industry moves towards sustainability, this project is pivotal in optimizing rCB quality, efficiency, and market adoption.

Our latest market intelligence report provides in-depth insights into the global tire recycling landscape, rCB production improvements, and the economic impact of sustainable carbon black alternatives. You can stay ahead with expert analysis on the evolving rCB market, emerging technologies, and investment opportunities driving a circular economy in the tire and rubber industries.

Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd, Bridgestone Corporation, Kyushu University, and Okayama University have launched a technology development project to perform secondary processing on rCB extracted from polymer products such as end-of-life tyres

The project aims to convert these materials into Eco-Carbon Black (eCB™) with rubber reinforcement properties equivalent to those of virgin carbon black (vCB) derived from petroleum and coal. Through these efforts, the joint project members are focused on contributing to the realization of a circular economy and carbon neutrality by developing advanced recycling technologies.

This project is part of a demonstrative initiative titled “Technology Development for Carbon Recycling from Polymer Products Including End-of-Life Tyres.” The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) selected the project on December 23, 2024, under the “Green Innovation Fund Project / Technology Development for Manufacturing Plastic Raw Materials Using CO₂, etc.”

Efforts are underway to pyrolyze polymer products, including rubber from end-of-life tyres, to recover and reuse rCB. However, the practical application of rCB in new tyres still faces challenges. Among them, rCB has lower rubber reinforcement performance than vCB, primarily due to numerous impurities. Additionally, although many end-of-life tyres are still effectively utilized as fuel through thermal recovery, this process produces CO₂ emissions. With the anticipated growth in automotive and transportation demand, tyre demand is expected to rise correspondingly. These efforts are focused on enhancing resource circulation by further enabling the recycling of vCB, a key raw material for tyres.

In this project, Tokai Carbon will leverage the technologies and expertise it has developed through carbon black manufacturing, combining them with the knowledge and technologies of Bridgestone, Kyushu University, and Okayama University. The joint project members aim to develop technology to remove impurities from rCB and produce eCB with superior rubber reinforcing properties. The project aims to establish a demonstration plant capable of producing 5,000 tons/year of eCB by fiscal year 2032. Additionally, the project will focus on developing unique polymer/carbon composites that enable the reuse of carbon black without the need for pyrolysis of end-of-life tires. Through these initiatives, the joint project members want to realize advanced recycling of limited resources and help reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the production of carbon black and the recycling of end-of-life tyres.