The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG) has begun studies on the chemical recycling of end-of-life tires (ELTs) using the coke ovens at its Kagawa plant in Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The company aims to begin marketing sustainable carbon black produced from these recycled tires by March 2026.
The tire industry is shifting toward the use of sustainable raw materials, leading to a rising demand for recycled carbon black, a key material used as a rubber reinforcing agent in tires. MCG says it plans to leverage its existing supply chain to process crushed ELTs in its coke ovens, converting the material into carbon black. According to the company, this approach is the first of its kind globally, producing sustainable carbon black from ELTs using coke ovens. The resulting product is reported to have the same performance as conventional carbon black, making it suitable for use in new tires and supporting a closed-loop recycling process.
In preparation for commercialization, MCG began demonstration experiments in July 2024, where ELTs are fed into coke ovens. The company aims to sell several thousands of tons of sustainable carbon black annually by 2025, with plans to increase production to tens of thousands of tons annually by 2030.
