Bridgestone is looking to expand the share of recovered carbon black (rCB) in its tires as part of a broader circularity push. Giorgia Martino, R&D chemist for Bridgestone EMEA, discussed the approach at the Global Polymer Summit on September 29, according to Tire Business. rCB comes from pyrolysis of end-of-life tires, and wider use would reduce reliance on virgin carbon black, a carbon-intensive material. Scaling rCB is not just a materials switch. It depends on steady feedstock supply, consistent pyrolysis output, and tire makers accepting recycled material in performance-critical compounds. Since tire manufacturing is one of the largest industrial consumers of carbon black, even partial substitution can meaningfully lower lifecycle emissions if the quality holds up.
