Tokai Targets 2027 Start‑up for ‘Eco Carbon Black’ Pilot Plant

Tokyo – Tokai Carbon Co. says it will have a pilot plant for secondary processing of recovered carbon black (rCB) up and running by the end of 2027. The facility is part of a broader joint programme with Bridgestone Corp., Kyushu University and Okayama University, and is supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO). In its 1 September annual report the company described the output as ‘eco Carbon Black’ (eCB), an upgraded rCB material that offers reinforcement performance comparable to virgin carbon black. The pilot plant is an intermediate step toward a previously announced demonstration facility that is expected to produce 5 kilotonnes per annum of eCB by fiscal 2032. Tokai’s initial goal is to develop technology suitable for general‑purpose carbon black, with plans to later expand eCB into high‑reinforcement grades that command higher added value. A key technical challenge is the removal of impurities from rCB recovered through the pyrolysis of end‑of‑life tires, according to Taishi Kiriyama, acting section chief at Tokai Carbon’s Chita laboratory. Kiriyama said, “The main challenge in developing eCB lies in removing the impurities present in rCB while simultaneously imparting the various performance properties required of a raw material for tires.” He added that the problem is “exceptionally demanding” with “very high technical hurdles” and that the company’s secondary‑processing technology is central to overcoming them.