Rubber Conversion reports OE adoption of devulc tire materials

Verona, Italy – Italian tire recycler Rubber Conversion has supplied recycled rubber to automotive major Stellantis and Bridgestone Corp. for use in new products as part of the Life Green Vulcan project*.

Verona-based Rubber Conversion operates a proprietary, selective devulcanisation technology for the production of recycled rubber for the automotive, tire, and footwear sectors.

In an announcement 9 July, Rubber Conversion said that, through the project, Stellantis had commercialised the production of automotive spring pads with 20% weight concentration of ELTs.

Bridgestone, added the recycler, has also industrialised a passenger car tire tread with 10% weight concentration of its recycled ELT material.

According to Rubber Conversion, its “high-quality" recycled rubber can deliver “significant savings” in the consumption of virgin rubber, especially natural rubber, as well as in CO2 emissions.

*Coordinated by Innovando Srl, the Life Green Vulcan project aimed to establish commercial, industrial applications for rubber derived from end-of-life tires (ELTs).

Partners in the programme, conducted between January 2020 and February 2024, also included FIAT Research Center, and the University of Trento.

The initiative received over €1-million in funding from the EU, and was recognised as ‘project of the month’ by the Italian environment ministry in June.