From end-of-life tyre to door handle: Pyrum, BASF and Mercedes-Benz close the recycling loop

• Pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tyres from Pyrum and certified biomethane replace fossil raw material according to mass balance method
• Chemical recycling by BASF makes it possible for the first time to produce recycled plastic with virgin plastic properties for technically demanding and safety-relevant Mercedes-Benz vehicle components

Dillingen / Saar, 24 August 2022 - Pyrum Innovations AG ("Pyrum"), a pioneer in the sustainable recycling of end-of-life tyres (ELT) based on its patented pyrolysis technology, is closing material cycles together with BASF SE and Mercedes-Benz AG. For this purpose, Pyrum supplies the cooperation partner BASF SE with pyrolysis oil, which is used in combination with biomethane as a raw material in the production of virgin plastics for Mercedes-Benz vehicle components.

Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum Innovations AG: "Since the foundation of Pyrum, we have been working on getting closer to a circular economy step by step. In view of finite deposits, the aim can only be to minimise the consumption of natural resources and to use as much recycled raw material as possible in production. The fact that our pyrolysis oil is used as a basis for the production of Mercedes-Benz vehicle components shows the high quality of our products."

To close the recycling loop for ELT, Pyrum will in future produce pyrolysis oil from discarded tyres using its own innovative pyrolysis process. BASF then feeds this into its Verbund at the start of production. In addition, BASF uses biomethane from agricultural waste, a renewable raw material. Using both raw materials, a completely new plastic is created. The combination of pyrolysis oil from ELT and biomethane is used for the first time in the cooperation between Pyrum, BASF and Mercedes-Benz. The plastic is certified according to the so-called "mass balance method": An independent certification confirms that the partner has replaced the quantities of fossil resources required for the end product with renewable raw materials and pyrolysis oil from ELT.

The use of secondary materials reduces both the use of fossil resources and the CO₂ footprint in the manufacturing process. The innovative recycled plastic thus has, for the first time, the same properties as virgin plastic made from fossil raw materials. This makes chemical recycling particularly suitable for the production of components that are subject to high quality and safety requirements. 

The first series-production models from Mercedes-Benz will be equipped with door handles this year, in the manufacture of which fossil raw materials have been replaced by biomethane and pyrolysis oil from ELT. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class will also be equipped with a crash absorber made from the recycled plastic material. Further possible applications for the innovative recycled material are currently being explored.

About Pyrum Innovations AG

Pyrum Innovations AG is active in the attractive recycling market for end-of-life-tyres with its patented pyrolysis technology. Pyrum's pyrolysis process is energy self-sufficient, saves a large portion of the CO₂ emissions normally generated during the disposal of end-of-life-tyres in a cement plant and produces new raw materials such as pyrolysis oil, gas and recovered carbon black from the waste used as input materials. In this way, Pyrum closes the recyclable material loop and pursues a completely sustainable business model. As a pioneer, Pyrum Innovations AG was the first company in the end-of-life-tyre recycling sector to receive REACH registration from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for the pyrolysis oil it produces. This means that the oil is recognised as an official raw material that can be used in production processes. In addition, Pyrum has received ISCC PLUS certification for the pyrolysis oil and the recovered carbon black. Both products are thus considered sustainable and renewable raw materials. These achievements have also been recognised by international experts in the tyre industry. For example, Pyrum won the Best Tyre Recycling Innovation category at the inaugural Recircle Awards and has been nominated for the “Grand Prix Mittelstand” ("Großer Preis des Mittelstandes") from the German state of Saarland.

Contact

IR.on AG
Frederic Hilke
Phone: +49 221 9140 970
Email: [email protected] 
 

Pyrum Innovations AG
Dieselstraße 8
66763 Dillingen / Saar
Email: [email protected]
https://www.pyrum.net/en