The tyre industry is working to address a multitude of challenges to improve Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings. Key areas of focus include addressing concerns related to tyre wear particles, promoting tyre circularity, and finding ways to decarbonise production.
This is particularly prevalent as the automotive landscape continues to evolve, with an increasing number of electric vehicles (EVs) hitting the roads.
The role of decarbonisation technology
Decarbonisation technology can help the tyre industry by simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint of both tyre production and raw materials. This could be a gamechanger in addressing ESG challenges and aligning the industry with sustainable practices.
Energy consumption and decarbonisation
The Tire Industry Project reports an average energy consumption of 9.4 GJ per metric ton of tyre production. On average, 42.7% of this energy is delivered by natural gas. By leveraging decarbonisation technologies, the industry has the potential to significantly decrease carbon emissions from production sites.
The integration of decarbonisation technologies can not only deliver a greener approach to tyre production, but also addresses concerns related to tyre circularity.
Levidian’s LOOP technology can support the tyre industry with decarbonisation of natural gas from tyre production pre-combustion. The outputs are valuable too. Firstly, LOOP creates a lower emission fuel – hydrogen – which can be used as a clean form of energy. Secondly, LOOP produces sustainable, solid carbon in the form of graphene, which can then be used as a reinforcing, tread grade carbon filler.
Based on independent lab-based testing from Tun Abdul Razak Rsearch Centre (TARRC), compared to an N220 carbon black filled tread formulation compound, Levidian's graphene in combination with N220 allows an overall reduction in carbon content, while improving mechanical and dynamic properties (better creep, compression set, rolling resistance and lower heat build-up) alongside reduced compound density.
Securing the supply chain
With security of supply chain a key factor for the tyre industry, coupled with the need to drive down emissions throughout the full lifecycle, technologies like LOOP can address a key concern for tyre producers. The ability to deploy the system on site means the technology can be placed at the point of production, as well as being designed to retrofit to existing infrastructure.
Through the decarbonisation of natural gas on site, a consistent source of solid carbon can be produced, harvested and delivered directly into the production of tyres.
Faced with evolving automotive trends and an increasing environmental focus, like many industries the tyre industry is at a critical point in time. Decarbonisation technologies present an opportunity to tackle ESG challenges while meeting the demands of a changing market.