Tyre pyrolysis

We have optimised the chemical recycling of used tyres (pyrolysis) to such an extent that we can operate it economically. From 2026 we will sell the recycled materials TPO and Recovered Carbon Black to close the tyre cycle.

Business segments
in the circular economy

Oil refinement

Chemical recycling

Plant engineering

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Research laboratory

Tyre pyrolysis

The challenges

Car tyres are hardly ever reused. The in the landfills is growing. Vehicle tyres are . The materials are not fed back into the production of new tyres. We have to change that. However, this is not possible with conventional methods.

Conventional «recycling» of car tyres

As a private individual, you can sell your old, worn-out car tyres to a . In the best-case scenario, your tyres will be recycled. Your tyres are mechanically broken down into their steel and rubber components. A granulate is then produced from the rubber, which is used for sports fields, artificial turf, etc.

Due to stricter environmental legislation, the use of rubber granulate from scrap tyres is increasingly restricted. In addition, the that accumulates each year is many times higher than the amount of rubber being recycled for use on a sports field.

The biggest buyers of scrap tyres are cement works.

As a rule, only the metals from your car tyres are recoverd. The polymer from all tyres - from bicycle tyres to large dumper tyres - is usually incinerated in a cement plant as a substitute for higher-quality fuels.

No materials are directly reused for the production of new tyres. Traditional used tyre recycling does not close the loop for the circular economy of tyres.

Chemical recycling of car tyres

Where mechanical recycling reaches its limits, chemical recycling takes over: in the separation of the different materials in a tyre.

Different materials are used depending on the type of tyre. Natural and synthetic rubber, carbon black, silicon oxide, zinc, lead, sulphur, steel and fabric are the basic materials. Natural rubber is obtained from the . Fossil crude oil has to be extracted and processed to produce synthetic rubber.

The aim of chemical recycling is to separate the polymer in a vehicle tyre. The resulting materials and are returned to the cycle as valuable raw materials. can be used directly as an alternative to conventional carbon black in tyre production. This closes the circle.

Process at a glance

The chemical recycling of used tyres is similar to the recycling of mixed plastics (from polyolefins such as HDPE, LLDPE, PP, PE). The tyre granulate is thermally decomposed by oxygen-free heating. This produces gaseous products, which are condensed into tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO). Solid residues, also known as pyrolysis soot, are refined into Recovered Carbon Black .

Pre-treatment

The tyres are first mechanically shredded. The fabric and steel are removed. The purified starting material (rubber granulate) is temporarily stored for continuous feeding into the reactor.

Pyrolysis

The pyrolysis reactor is a closed system in which the rubber is thermally decomposed into gaseous short-chain hydrocarbons. At the outlet of the reactor, the gaseous pyrolysis products and the solid residues are separated from each other. The pyrolysis gas passes through a condensation stage in which it liquefies into oil. The solid residues are automatically removed via a conveyor system.

Post-treatment

After pyrolysis, a third raw material, known as Recovered Carbon Black, can be recovered. It is fed into a storage container as a pyrolysis solid and from there into a mill. The ground material is processed via a pelletiser and subsequent drying into pellets, which are finally stored for marketing.

End products

From 2026 we will sell recycled pyrolysis oil, with ISCC-Plus proof of sustainability, as well as industrial waste into the tyre industry's production cycle. This closes the loop and enables the circular economy.

Our guarantee

You receive a quality guarantee for our products. Consistent quality is ensured by analyses carried out in our own laboratory. At the same time, regular checks are carried out by an independent laboratory.

When you buy pyrolysis oil or carbon black from us, you can be sure that it has been produced from recycled vehicle tyres in an energy-efficient and sustainable way.

Contact

My team can support you from raw material analysis to approval planning and on to the entire project realisation. I can answer your questions about the chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste, oil refining and tyre pyrolysis. You are also in the right place if you have any questions about research and development and oil analyses.

Ben Richters

Chief Technology Officer

Ben Richters

Chief Technology Officer

enespa grt innovation gmbh
Bäckerbarg 4-7
DE-22889 Tangstedt
Germany

enespa's vision

Clean beaches, rivers and streams. Free from plastic waste. No animals dying because we humans simply dump our rubbish in the environment. That is our vision. enespa is helping to remove waste from nature and recycle it. Together with many like-minded campaigners, this vision will become reality.

Tyre pyrolysis