Contec has awarded Mars Mineral a contract to design and produce a new pin mixer.
Warsaw, Poland-based environmental services business Contec uses pyrolysis to extract recovered carbon black (rCB) powder grades, in addition to pyrolysis oil and recovered steel from waste and end-of-life tires (ELTs).
The pin mixer from Mars Mineral is capable of changing rCB powder (with the addition of liquid or additives) into small, dense agglomerates or 0.125-1mm pellets in the 20-50g hardness range. The pellets are manufactured at ambient temperature, which helps reduce costs and impact on the environment. The pellets are then packaged and transported to Contec’s end-partner customers for use within the tire and rubber manufacturing industries.
Mars Mineral and Contec have collaborated to manufacture high-quality pellets in pilot-scale quantity at Mars Mineral’s pilot production facility in Pennsylvania, USA for Contec sales personnel to sample with potential commercial customers.
“At Contec, we care about quality and efficiency in every stage of the process,” said Krzysztof Wróblewski, CEO of Contec. “Every single element counts, including those with whom we choose to collaborate. As a worldwide leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality and reliable pin mixers, Mars Mineral was the obvious choice to pelletize our recovered rCB powder straight from the mill. Pelletized rCB is easier to handle, package, transport and dose than powdered carbon black.”
Clayton Woodward, president of Mars Mineral, added, “Through material testing and careful study of the impact of changes in the process control parameters, we were able to provide an operational blueprint for the pin mixer that Contec ultimately purchased. We’ve been manufacturing pelletizers for over 50 years and are excited about how our technology can give companies like Contec and manufacturers everywhere a path to sustainability and a new revenue stream.”
