The BlackCycle project aims at creating, developing and optimising a full value chain, from ELT feedstock to SRMs (Secondary Raw Materials), with no waste of resources in any part of the chain and a specific attention for the environmental impact. To ensure the success of Blackcyle, the project has been shaped with a robust approach, aiming at ensuring a smooth transition for the scale up of the value chain.
During the first period of the project, one of the main objectives was to consolidate the proof of concepts and the optimization of the value chain in a laboratory environment. For the validation and scale up of the technologies developed by the project, the following tasks were finished during the second period:
• Tire deconstruction to deliver specific rubber feedstocks: demo-line tires deconstruction technologies have been designed. The two deconstruction machines have been erected and delivered.
• The pyrolysis : process optimization at TRL4 and TRL5 has been achieved and productions are in line with the target oil composition and characteristics. Successful scale-up at TRL7/9 for the two pyrolysis technologies of the optimized conditions to maximize the value of the produced SRMs has been achieved.
• Oil refining and valorization : distillation columns at TRL4, TRL5 and TRL7 have been implemented to produce the refined pyrolytic oil derived from ELT pyrolysis based on specifications and parameters defined for s-CB and s-Resins production. Dozens tons of samples were delivered for the production of s-CB. Samples of s-Resins have been produced and evaluated giving first promising in-rubber properties.
• s-CB production: trials at the TRL7 pilot plant confirmed the proof-of-concept of the BlackCycle value chain validated during the first period at the lab scale. Several grades of s-CB were produced, with performances equivalent to those of standard ASTM carbon blacks.
• s-Tire : First trials of tires made of s-CB validated equal performance than tires with standard ASTM carbon black.
To ensure positive life cycle and costs performances of the process and secondary raw materials developed by the consortium, partners carried out first technico-economic, health and safety and environmental assessments.
Works on standardization and harmonization of generated data have also been launched to register productions issued form BlackCycle into the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS).
Finally, Partners initiated a work on scenarios deployment taking into account stakeholders' needs and social acceptance.
