Tire-Derived Carbon

Carbon recovered from scrap tires is outperforming commercial graphite as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, according to researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have found positive results using carbon recovered from scrap tires in the manufacture of anodes for lithium-ion batteries. By modifying the microstructural characteristics of the recovered carbon black material, a team led by Parans Paranthaman and Amit Naskar is developing a better anode for lithium-ion batteries.

The ORNL technique uses a proprietary pretreatment to recover pyrolytic carbon black material that is similar to graphite but man-made. When used in anodes, researchers produced a small, laboratory-scale battery with reversible capacity higher than what is possible with commercial graphite materials. After 100 cycles the capacity measured nearly 390 milliamp-hours per gram of carbon anode, exceeding the best properties of commercial graphite.

“This kind of performance is highly encouraging, especially in light of the fact that the global battery market for vehicles and military applications is approaching $78 billion and the materials market is expected to hit $11 billion in 2018,” Paranthaman said.

“This technology addresses the need to develop an inexpensive, environmentally benign carbon composite anode material with high-surface area, higher-rate capability and long-term stability,” Naskar said.

ORNL plans to work with U.S. industry to license the technology and produce lithium-ion cells for automotive, stationary storage, medical and military applications. Researchers expect these batteries to be less expensive than those manufactured with commercial carbon powders.

Learn More:

• Recovered Carbon Black (rCB) from tire pyrolysis
• Nano-carbon and fullerene production from scrap tires
• Tire pyrolysis systems
• Tire-derived pyrolysis oil
• Feasibility studies

Recovered Carbon Black From Waste Tires

Recovered carbon black from end-of-life tires is now beating commercial graphite as a battery anode material. Klean’s tire pyrolysis systems recover the carbon black that makes this possible.

Klean converts waste tires into recovered carbon black, pyrolysis oil and steel, turning a material once bound for landfill into a high-value feedstock for batteries, rubber and construction.

Why Choose Klean Industries’ Recovered Carbon Black?

✅ Sustainable & Low-Carbon Alternative – Recovering carbon black from end-of-life tires instead of virgin furnace carbon.
✅ High-Performance Battery-Grade Carbon – Tailored microstructures that exceed commercial graphite anode capacity.
✅ Cost-Effective & Environmentally Friendly – Diverting scrap tires from landfill while lowering material costs.
✅ Industry-Leading Pyrolysis Technology – Modular tire pyrolysis systems purpose-built for rCB production.

Looking for a proven route from waste tires to battery-grade recovered carbon black?

Contact Klean Industries about recovered carbon black » GO.