ACE Laboratories and Abdallah Consulting have announced the launch of VericarbSM, an independent certification program designed to verify that materials produced and marketed as recovered carbon black (rCB) meet the program’s defined criteria for rCB.

Recovered carbon black – produced from end-of-life tires through pyrolysis – has emerged as a key sustainable alternative to virgin carbon black in rubber and polymer applications. But as a newer market, it has lacked the standardization and independent verification that consumers, compounders and investors rely on in established material supply chains. VericarbSM was created to close that gap.

Certification under the VericarbSM program includes independent material characterization and rubber performance data, giving all stakeholders a consistent, credible basis for evaluating rCB products.

Continue reading Abdallah Consulting and ACE Laboratories launch recovered carbon black certification program at Tire Technology International.

Vulkanox 4060, an alternative 6PPD anti-aging agent additive, chemically known as CCPD (N,N′-dicyclohexyl-p-phenylenediamine), is intended as an alternative to 6PPD, which is widely used in tires to protect against degradation caused by oxygen and ozone.

The degradation products of 6PPD, particularly 6PPD-quinone, have faced criticism due to their environmental impact, including links to coho salmon die-offs in the US. In environmental studies, CCPD-quinone, the corresponding transformation product of Vulkanox 4060, showed no observed acute effects in coho salmon at concentrations up to the solubility limit. Following completion of EU Reach registration, Vulkanox 4060 is now approved for use in the European market.

Continue reading Lanxess develops 6PPD alternative for tire applications at Tire Technology International.

Yokohama Rubber has developed and begun full-scale operation of a proprietary generative AI system using RAG (retrieval-augmented generation), which searches various technical documents accumulated internally and presents responses based on their content. This new system reportedly accelerates and enhances tire development by providing rapid and accurate access to technical information necessary for decision-making during the tire development process, including material development.

Yokohama Rubber developed this new system to expand the practical environment of its proprietary HAICoLab AI utilization framework, which was established in October 2020. The company has previously developed AI systems that predict a rubber compound’s physical properties and tire characteristics, generate new rubber compounds, and support mold design, and is increasingly using data to create material and tire designs.

Continue reading AI system supports faster tire development at Yokohama Rubber at Tire Technology International.

Ahead of the 38th America’s Cup, Pirelli is expanding its brand presence on Luna Rossa’s boats. The company’s logo, which is already featured on the mainsail, will also appear on the foils and rudder of the AC40 and AC75 boats.

The foils and rudder of the AC75 were also developed with Pirelli’s technological contribution, using innovative materials designed to enhance the Italian boat’s performance.

The foils generate the lift needed to raise the hull above the water, enabling the vessel to reach the high speeds characteristic of this type of boat.

Pirelli has brought its expertise to bear on the hydrodynamic performance of the boat’s appendages, helping to optimize their behavior.

Continue reading Pirelli to increase presence on Luna Rossa boats ahead of America’s Cup at Tire Technology International.

A new partnership has been announced that is advancing a tire-to-tire circular economy initiative in Europe, driving the development of an industrial ecosystem designed to increase the use of recycled materials derived from end-of-life and scrap tires.

Pirelli, Pyrum, Synthos and BASF are working together on a process that draws on end-of-life tires collected across Germany, from some driver retail outlets and motorsport activities, as well as scrap tires collected from Pirelli’s Breuberg plant. These are processed through an industrial chain designed to maximize their inner value, converting them into secondary raw materials, including synthetic rubber, certified under the ISCC Plus scheme.

Continue reading Pirelli, Pyrum, Synthos and BASF launch ‘tire-to-tire’ circularity project at Tire Technology International.

With sustainability becoming an increasingly important focus for the tire industry, manufacturers are exploring ways to improve circularity across the sector. In response, the ISCC Plus pilot project aims to develop industrial ecosystems that recover and process waste materials for reintegration into tire manufacturing, supporting more sustainable production across the supply chain.

Pirelli has announced that it has actively supported and participated in the ISCC Plus pilot to add recycled steel to the ISCC Plus materials list, working alongside Xingda, a strategic supplier and manufacturer of rubber reinforcement materials.

As part of the initiative, Pirelli contributed to the development of technical requirements and sustainability guidelines, supporting Xingda and its upstream suppliers throughout the ISCC Plus certification process.

Continue reading Pirelli supports ISCC Plus initiative to introduce recycled steel into tire manufacturing at Tire Technology International.

Chemicals company Orion has announced it is producing circular carbon black at its ISCC Plus-certified plant in the Chinese eastern coastal city of Qingdao.

The facility is making three grades of circular carbon black, Ecorax Circular 200, 210 and 215, from tire pyrolysis oil (TPO). Ecorax 200 is a hard black suitable for tires, while the 210 and 215 grades can be used for tires and mechanical rubber goods (MRG).

“This new capability in China marks a key step in offering circular carbon black grades globally,” said Orion CEO Corning Painter. “The product line extension gives us greater flexibility to meet growing demand for circular products, while maintaining the performance, consistency and quality our customers expect.”

Last year, Orion scaled up its circular capabilities in Europe, launching large volume production of Ecorax Circular 200 and 210 – both made from TPO – through a commercial reactor in Jasło, Poland.

Continue reading Orion launches circular carbon black production in China at Tire Technology International.

Chemical companies Unibio and BioVerde Tech have announced a strategic collaboration to develop biomanufacturing processes for the production of sustainable chemicals.

Under the agreement, BioVerde will use Unibio’s U-Loop vertical loop gas fermentation technology platform together with BioVerde’s genetically engineered strains of Methylococcus capsulatus. The collaboration aims to convert methane into a range of value-added chemical products through advanced microbial fermentation.

Initial development efforts will focus on intermediates – molecular entities or compounds formed during a multi-step chemical reaction that are then consumed to produce the final product, acting as bridges between reactants and products – relevant to the synthetic rubber value chain, including pathways toward bio-based butadiene, a key building block used in both synthetic rubber and engineering plastics such as ABS.

Continue reading Unibio and BioVerde co-develop methane-based manufacturing processes for sustainable chemical intermediates at Tire Technology International.

Solvay has opened its bio-circular silica facility at its Livorno, Italy plant, advancing Europe’s industrial shift toward sustainability. The investment supports the European Green Deal and the upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), while strengthening Italy’s position as a center for green innovation.

The unit aims to produce highly dispersible silica (HDS) using bio-based sodium silicate derived from rice husk ash, an agricultural byproduct. This breakthrough process reduces CO2 emissions by 35% per ton of silica compared to traditional methods and creates a local circular value chain that benefits the agricultural sector, industry and communities.

“By acting now, Solvay is helping tire manufacturers prepare for future EU requirements and meet their own sustainability goals,” said Philippe Kehren, CEO of Solvay.

Continue reading Solvay launches bio-circular silica facility in Livorno to drive sustainable tire production and circular innovation at Tire Technology International.

Dunlop has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cabot to evaluate the commercial adoption of circular reinforcing carbons made with Cabot’s patented regenerated carbon technology. This circular reinforcing carbon, developed with Cabot’s Evolve Sustainable Solutions and made from reclaimed pyrolyzed tire material, is being considered for use in Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ tire production.

Cabot’s circular reinforcing carbon, using regenerated carbon technology, is a new material for Sumitomo Rubber. It is seen as a potential tool for reducing emissions and will be evaluated for mass-produced tires, while Cabot works to scale the technology to meet future demand.

Continue reading Dunlop and Cabot sign MOU to explore regenerated carbon for sustainable tire production at Tire Technology International.