The BlackCycle R&D research and innovation project, funded by the European Commission under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research program, has won a Recircle Award in the Best Tire Recycling Research Project category. The Recircle Awards is a global event designed to recognize the contribution of companies and individuals in the tire manufacturing, retreading and recycling sectors.
The BlackCycle consortium consists of 12 partners – Orion, Ineris, Quantis, Icamcyl, Aliapur, CSIC, CPERI/CERTH, Sisener, Pyrum, Estato, Hera and Axelera – is and led by the French tire manufacturer Michelin.
The project aims to upcycle end-of-life tires (ELTs) as part of a circular economy. The goal is to transform ELTs into high-quality second raw materials (SRMs) with advanced technical properties. These SRMs will then be used in the production of new passenger car and truck tires. The resulting tires, incorporating these innovative materials, will be introduced into the market for sale, targeting both European and global consumers.
BlackCycle seeks to contribute to sustainability by reusing ELTs and integrating them into the production of commercially available tires. Orion is the only carbon black producer involved in the project.
Thanks to the BlackCycle project, the first sustainable carbon black (s-CB) produced from end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil was made at the scale of several tons. That s-CB technology has been successfully introduced in a Michelin bus tire along with other raw materials to get a sustainable rate of 58% – all made possible by the BlackCycle value chain.
The BlackCycle team said, “Being honored with this award serves as evidence of the power of collaborative innovation and its impact on the tire recycling value chain on a global scale.”
The BlackCycle project will end in June 2024.
