In its latest press release, Pyrum Innovations AG (Pyrum), a pioneer in the sustainable recycling of end-of-life tires based on its patented pyrolysis technology, reports on the progress of the European BlackCycle project. Pyrum supplied pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tires as the raw material for the world’s first manufacture of sustainable carbon black (sCB) for tire reuse.

The Michelin-led EU-funded project aims to create a closed-loop economy for the efficient recycling of end-of-life tires. In this sense, the project’s milestones were all met in 2021. Pyrum delivered the world’s first production of sustainable carbon black (sCB) for reuse in tires, which used pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tires as the raw material.

Pyrum’s pyrolysis oil is qualitatively equivalent to conventional carbon black produced from petroleum, according to project partner Orion Engineered Carbons, one of the world’s leading producers of carbon black. This unique method for creating a sustainable material from used tires is a true closed-loop process.

“We are very proud to be part of this important project, as it is also our primary goal to contribute to the achievement of a circular economy. For this reason, we have also extended the scope of our deliveries and supplied 20 tons of additional pyrolysis oil for the additional Fast Track process carried out, so that the sustainable tire of the future - made from 100% recycled material - can be brought to market more quickly”, commented Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations AG.

The BlackCycle project, financed by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, began in May 2020 and will run until the end of August 2023. Thirteen companies from five EU countries are working on a sustainable approach to recycle recovered materials from used tires into new tire production as part of the initiative. This includes scrap tire collecting and selection of raw materials, as well as pyrolysis, oil refining, and recycling optimization. The Pyrum Innovations AG team focuses on the laboratory and industrial scale development and modification of the pyrolysis process. The aim is to obtain products with tailor-made properties for ideal further utilization with the highest possible quality from discarded tires.