Tire demand is expected to grow in the future in conjunction with rising automobile and transportation demand. Synthetic rubber is one of the primary materials used when producing tires and is generally produced from petroleum today. Used tires are also utilized as fuel mainly through thermal recovery in Japan and this utilization method emits CO2 consequently.
Bridgestone Corporation and ENEOS Corporation announced the launch of a joint research and development project aimed at achieving the social implementation of "chemical recycling technologies that enable precise pyrolysis of used tires" This initiative contributes to accomplishing the shared sustainability vision of both companies.
With its co-creation partner LanzaTech NZ, Inc., a Carbon Capture and Transformation company, the Bridgestone Group seeks to develop a new business model that will create a post-consumer waste management strategy for used tires, while also driving increased adoption of sustainably sourced chemicals for commercial applications.
Applying LanzaTech’s carbon capture and gas fermentation process to used tires yields sustainably produced chemicals such as ethanol that can be converted to materials like PET for packaging, polyester yarn and surfactants used in consumer goods like laundry detergent. In addition, the Group and LanzaTech are jointly exploring proprietary microbe technology to identify more efficient pathways to produce butadiene, a key ingredient in new tire production.
Combining the innovation, experience and technical skills of Bridgestone, BB&G and Versalis, the project aims to transform end-of-life tyres (ELTs) through pyrolysis, into tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO) which in turn can be used to create high-quality elastomers comparable to those obtained from traditional feedstock for the production of new tyres. The three companies’ collaboration aims to boost the development of pyrolysis technology and TPO, as well as market scaling the elastomers as a valuable circular resource for new tyres.
