Continental has acquired a patent portfolio and launched a pilot facility for the production of pyrolysis oil. The investment lays the foundation for recycling complex rubber compounds on an industrial scale. The patented pyrolysis technology solution employed by ContiTech aims to recover high-quality raw materials from waste rubber and systematically replace fossil resources.
Pyrolysis is based on a thermal process. Through controlled heating in a low-oxygen environment, the waste rubber is thermally broken down into its basic components. This produces a gaseous energy source, recovered carbon black and a high-quality oil that is similar in composition to fossil crude oil. The latter in particular offers great potential for reuse in rubber and plastic production. Originally developed by British startup Low Sulphur Fuels, the purification facility uses a special method to process this oil for industrial use.
“With this technology, we’re closing a crucial gap in the circular materials economy: we’re able to recover high-quality raw materials from rubber waste, which we can then feed back into the chemical material cycle to create new products without relying on crude oil,” said Dr Michael Hofmann, chief technology officer at ContiTech. “We’re thus demonstrating how innovation can become the driving force behind sustainable industrial processes – and how a previously untapped raw material cycle can be made economically viable.”
Pyrolysis has seen limited use in rubber recycling primarily because the process is complex and the recovered products must meet high quality standards. Recent technological improvements, such as the purification of pyrolysis oil enabled by ContiTech, have made industrial application both economically and technically viable.
In related news, Cabot Corporation has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Mexico Carbon Manufacturing (MXCB) from Bridgestone Corporation
