We're looking forward to your presentation at the Recovered Carbon Black Europe conference in Barcelona. You'll be talking about the role of circular carbon black and rCB, can you share some details about your presentation?

I'll discuss how circular and rCB are distinct products and why combining them helps fully utilize end-of-life tires. Both are derived from ELTs, supporting waste management and contributing to the transition to a circular economy. However, they are distinct products: While rCB is a mixture of recovered fillers and other residues that can partially replace some soft blacks in certain applications, circular carbon black can fully replace conventional carbon black in all applications. From a waste management perspective, combining both materials makes sense to fully utilize ELT as a resource.

Another important aspect is the potential reduction in carbon footprint. Our comparative life cycle assessment, which was externally validated, shows that the carbon footprint of circular carbon black is 60% lower than that of conventional carbon black, on a cradle-to-gate basis. Since carbon black is a major contributor to the GHG emissions of tire raw materials, replacing it with circular carbon black significantly impacts the carbon footprint of tires.

I will demonstrate the potential impact on recycled content and the carbon footprint of a typical tire when replacing conventional carbon black with rCB and circular carbon black.

What practical steps can the industry take to integrate both rCB and circular carbon black at scale, accelerating progress toward true tire circularity?

First, it is crucial for the pyrolysis industry and tire manufacturers to align on standards for rCB, as the existing carbon black standards do not apply to rCB.

Second, tire manufacturers need to commit to long-term volume offtake agreements for both rCB and circular carbon black. This commitment will enable investments in plants and infrastructure to scale up rapidly.

Additionally, the tire industry should engage with government and regulators to create an environment that incentivizes circularity through tax incentives and funding, making it more attractive for all members of the value chain.

How does the use of circular feedstocks change the way we think about designing tires for recyclability and end-of-life recovery?

This will depend on what tire makers expect in terms of feedstock stability. Changes in tire composition today will affect circular feedstocks in 5-7 years. The more dramatic the changes, the more work will be needed in the future to ensure that feedstocks maintain quality standards. We know that the quality of rCB depends on the quality of the ELT, in addition to the process. This is quite different for circular carbon black, as we can adjust our process to use a wide variety of TPOs to produce a product that meets the same specifications.

However, with advanced modelling techniques, tire makers will be able to predict changes and adapt formulations and tire designs accordingly.

What are you most looking forward to at the conference?

I am looking forward to engaging with customers and the entire value chain.