10-year pyrolysis deal for Continental tyres

Tyre giant Continental has concluded a 10-year deal to buy carbon black recovered from end-of-life tyres.

In 2022, the German manufacturer signed a development agreement with thermolysis technology specialist Pyrum Innovations. It has now agreed a long-term purchase partnership to expand the recycling of end-of-life tyres through pyrolysis.

Carbon black in rubber compounds increases the stability, strength and durability of tyres.

Sustainability goal

Continental is working towards its goal of using more than 40% renewable and recycled materials in its tyres by 2030. It aims to increase the use of sustainable materials to 100% by 2050 at the latest. Its tyres already contain recycled materials such as rubber from mechanically processed tyres, recycled steel and recycled polyester from PET bottles.

‘Recycled raw materials are becoming increasingly important in our tyre production,’ says Jorge Almeida, Continental’s head of sustainability. ‘We need to move from an “end-of-life” to an “end-of-use” tyre concept. This means that the end of a tyre’s intended use phase must become the beginning of a new opportunity.

‘Together with Pyrum, we are developing highly efficient processes to recycle as many components and materials as possible from an end-of-use tyre back into our production cycle.’

Partnership

Pyrum Innovations ceo Pascal Klein says the expansion of its cooperation with Continental is very important. ‘To ensure that Continental can also use our recovered carbon black in the series production of passenger tyres in the future, we are continuously working on its further development,’ Almeida says.

‘We have already succeeded in ensuring that all newly produced forklift tyres at the Continental tyre plant in Korbach, Hesse, contain our sustainable carbon black.’