Rubber & Synthetics

South Korea's government launched a €30 million R&D program to improve the use of recovered carbon black in tire compounds.

Graphite One plans to generate early revenue by finishing and blending synthetic graphite at its Ohio plant, targeting an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes.

Operators can boost profits from tire pyrolysis by refining oil and carbon black into higher-value products. Upgraded materials meet industrial standards, attracting stable buyers and better margins.

A major tyre producer reports increased use of recycled carbon black in their products.

HydroGraph Clean Power has launched Fractal Graphene Paste, a pre-dispersed aqueous concentrate containing 20% graphene by weight, designed to simplify the incorporation of graphene into water-based industrial formulations. This development is significant for the advanced carbon materials sector as it addresses the dispersion challenges associated with graphene, potentially accelerating its adoption in applications such as construction materials, coatings, and thermal management systems.

Turquoise Group has achieved Verified Graphene Producer® status, confirming its capability to produce 30 tonnes of high-purity few-layer graphene annually at its Brisbane facility. This certification enhances the company's credibility in delivering high-quality graphene, a material crucial for applications in coatings, composites, and energy storage.

Researchers at Florida International University have found that a water sample from the Hillsborough River near downtown Tampa contained 12 nanograms per liter of 6PPD-Q, a toxic chemical from tire wear, exceeding the EPA benchmark of 11 nanograms per liter. This study highlights the potential of using sargassum-based biochar to filter out harmful pollutants, which could protect Florida's aquatic ecosystems from the adverse effects of tire-derived chemicals.

Graphite One is targeting 25,000 tonnes per year of domestic synthetic graphite production by the fourth quarter of 2028. This development is significant for the synthetic graphite sector, potentially enhancing supply for battery and energy storage applications.

ACP Technologies has opened a new pilot facility in Ashland capable of producing 75 pounds of synthetic graphite per hour. This development is significant for the carbon fiber and synthetic graphite sectors, as it enhances production capacity and supports material scaling efforts.

A study of fluoroelastomer compounds reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets finds that platelet size drives the mechanical and thermal performance of the resulting composite.

Talbros has partnered with Lohum to establish a joint venture for trading, manufacturing, and refining recovered carbon black. This collaboration aims to enhance the supply chain and utilization of recovered carbon black, a sustainable alternative to traditional carbon black in composites and rubber products.

Talbros Automotive Components has formed a joint venture with Lohum Cleantech to create Lohum Talbros CarbonTech Private Limited, focusing on the production of recovered carbon black and devulcanized rubber. This collaboration marks Talbros' strategic move into sustainable automotive materials, leveraging advanced carbon materials like recovered carbon black to support the circular economy.

Pyrum Innovations has announced that its tire recycling plant project in Perl-Besch, Germany is back on track following the successful optimisation of its Dillingen facility, which now produces stable recovered carbon black (rCB). This development is crucial for the advanced carbon materials sector as it demonstrates the viability of producing high-quality rCB, a key component for sustainable tire manufacturing and other applications.

The recovered carbon black (rCB) market, produced by pyrolyzing end-of-life tires, is projected to grow at a 6.4% CAGR from 2023 to 2028, with each ton of rCB saving up to 1.7 tons of CO2 compared to virgin carbon black. Inconsistent output quality and complex regulatory requirements remain the primary barriers limiting broader adoption of rCB as a substitute feedstock in tire, rubber, and carbon materials manufacturing.

HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. commercially launched Fractal Graphene Paste, a 20% graphene-by-weight aqueous dispersion with a 99.8% carbon purity and over two-year shelf life, and has supplied samples to more than 30 customers. The product targets the graphene sector's core adoption barrier—dispersion difficulty—by delivering a stable, ready-to-use concentrate compatible with standard mixing equipment, which could accelerate graphene uptake in composites, coatings, and construction materials.

Bolder Industries received final permits on 15 June 2025 to build an 86ktpa end-of-life tire pyrolysis facility at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, to be developed in two phases with EU Innovation Fund co-funding. The plant will supply recovered carbon black at commercial scale to European markets, adding to Bolder's existing US operations in Missouri and Indiana.