Brenntag in link-up to offer rubber powder, granules from large ELTs

Essen, Germany – German chemicals distributor Brenntag and Italian rubber recycling group RubberJet Valley have signed a deal to promote tire-derived recycled rubber.

The two parties have entered into a distribution agreement for the technical development and commercialisation of rubber granules and powder produced from large end-of-life tires (ELTs).

RubberJet Valley has developed a proprietary technology using a high-pressure waterjet process to produce “high-quality” polymer granules and powder out of truck & bus, agriculture and mining waste tires.

The process, said Brenntag 10 July, gives the recycled materials “an especially large and active surface structure” that allows the recycled polymers to be vulcanised again.

“This makes it possible to obtain sustainable and high-quality powder based on carbon black and high content of natural rubber (NR),” it said.

The recovered materials can then replace natural or synthetic rubber in new compounds.

“This agreement is strategic for our rubber business in EMEA”, said Jose Manuel Calavia Cruz, business director rubber EMEA.

In particular, the offering will help Brenntag move further into a circular economy, Cruz added.

The technology opens “a totally new opportunity”, offering companies “very high-quality polymers” to replace natural or synthetic rubbers in new compounds, said, RubberJet Valley CEO Tommaso Verri.

In particular, the technology is significant as it contributes to the sustainability of the NR supply chain, said Andreas Kicherer, VP sustainability Brenntag.

“Medium and large tires are currently made mostly of natural rubber deriving from rubber trees,” Kicherer explained, adding that NR is on the list of EU ‘critical raw materials’.

“The EU is 100% dependent of natural rubber coming mainly from Asia. For a more sustainable and circular process, changing this is key,” he added.

The partnership, Kicherer concluded, will help reduce deforestation and offer “a real alternative and sustainable product to the original virgin materials.”