Market and product

Compiled by Bao Hien

Technology for recovering carbon black from end-of-life tires through pyrolysis is rapidly shifting from a niche solution into a mainstream industrial materials segment, as major tire manufacturers increasingly integrate recycled materials into their product formulations under regulatory pressure and sustainability targets.

The Technology: Pyrolysis in an Oxygen-Free Environment

Recovered carbon black (rCB) — also known as pyrolytic carbon black or regenerated carbon black — is the solid fraction obtained when end-of-life tires are thermally decomposed in the absence of oxygen (pyrolysis). Because carbon black makes up roughly 25–35% of a tire's weight, it represents a high-value material stream within a circular economy framework.
In terms of process, tires are shredded into feedstock and then pyrolyzed in an inert or oxygen-deficient environment — typically at temperatures between 350°C and 700°C, depending on the technology — to simultaneously recover solid char (carbon black), liquid oil, and non-condensable gas. The recovered gas and oil can be reused as an energy source for the production process itself, while the high-quality carbon black is reintroduced into new tire rubber compounds — forming a closed loop that conserves resources and reduces emissions.

Historically, the foundational patents for this technology date back to 1978–1981 (Intenco Inc., US/UK), which established the basic framework for anaerobic pyrolysis and vapor-phase separation. The technology has since been refined through several stages: SES IP AB (Sweden, 2001–2008) introduced controlled pyrolysis gas recirculation to improve process consistency; Berdeko Technologies (US/Canada, 2010–2012) developed continuous anaerobic pyrolysis combined with magnetic separation and milling down to 325-mesh particle sizes at 450–550°C.

A Market Shifting from Niche to Mainstream

According to analysis from Mordor Intelligence, pyrolysis currently accounts for 90.45% of global recovered carbon black output in 2025, and the share of continuous pyrolysis technology — more efficient and stable than batch processing — is expected to rise to about 52% of global capacity in 2026. On the economic side, standard-grade recovered carbon black currently prices at $100–120 per ton — 20–30% below carbon black produced through traditional oil-furnace processes — while specialty-grade material can command a premium of more than 50% over the standard grade amid rising demand.

The main growth driver is regulatory pressure. In Europe, waste tire management regulations are tightening mandatory recycling rates, with a target of 95% tire recycling by 2030; meanwhile, the EU's product carbon-storage regulation (Regulation 2024/3012) requires a minimum of 35 years of monitoring, giving an advantage to pyrolysis operators with ISO 59014 traceability over virgin carbon black suppliers. In India, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules have raised the collection target to 100% starting fiscal year 2024–25 and formally recognized recovered carbon black for use in tire manufacturing.

Major Companies Integrating the Material into Production

A number of large tire and chemical companies have taken concrete steps to integrate recovered carbon black into their supply chains. According to market data compiled in early 2026: Cabot Corporation strengthened collaborations with tire recyclers to qualify recovered carbon black grades for industrial rubber and elastomer applications (January 2026); Bridgestone Americas expanded pilot-scale use of recovered carbon black from end-of-life tire pyrolysis to reduce dependence on virgin carbon black in passenger and commercial tires (February 2026); Continental AG's North American operations advanced the integration of recovered carbon black into rubber compounding to boost circularity in premium tire production (March 2026).

Beyond these major players, several specialized pyrolysis technology companies active in the sector include Black Bear Carbon (Netherlands), Bolder Industries (US), Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Sweden), and Pyrum Innovations (Germany) — all expanding capacity, with North America projected to see the fastest capacity growth thanks to joint-venture plants expected to come online in 2026–2027.

As post-processing techniques and particle-size control methods continue to improve, recovered carbon black is increasingly approaching virgin carbon black in performance — in terms of specific surface area and oil absorption value, some modified grades of recovered carbon black are now comparable to standard virgin grades such as N550/N660 — opening the door to higher-value applications such as conductive materials and lithium-battery anode additives.