With the acquisition of an exclusive patent family and a newly developed pilot facility for purified pyrolysis oil, Continental said it is taking a major step toward recycling complex rubber compounds on an industrial scale. ContiTech designed this solution to recover high-quality raw materials from waste rubber and replace fossil resources systematically.
Breaking Down Rubber with Pyrolysis Oil
The technology uses a thermal process that breaks waste rubber into chemical components. This produces a high-quality oil comparable to fossil crude oil. The oil can serve as a base for new rubber and plastic products. British start-up LowSulphurFuels developed the original purification method. ContiTech’s new facility refines the oil for industrial use.
“With this technology, we’re closing a crucial gap in the circular materials economy,” says Dr. Michael Hofmann, chief technology officer at ContiTech. “We’re able to recover high-quality raw materials from rubber waste, which we can then feed back into the chemical material cycle to create new products without relying on crude oil.”
New Opportunities for Hard-to-Recycle Products
The recycling of rubber has always posed challenges. Once vulcanized, the material’s structure changes permanently, making separation difficult. Conventional recycling methods fail quickly. Pyrolysis offers an alternative by heating waste in a low-oxygen environment.
This process produces gas, carbon black, and a high-quality oil similar to crude. Pyrolysis oil offers strong potential for reuse in rubber and plastic production. ContiTech’s facility purifies the oil, making industrial use both technically and economically viable.
Expanding the Circular Economy
Complex products, including food-grade hoses and rubber-metal composites, have resisted recycling. ContiTech sees purified pyrolysis oil as a solution for reintegrating these products into the material cycle.
By acquiring the patent and launching the pilot facility, ContiTech said it signals its commitment to sustainable innovation. The company filed more than 150 patent applications and received around 250 patents last year.
ContiTech’s dedication to innovation also appears in projects like hydrocarbon recovery from used rubber and the development of recyclable automotive materials.
