International standards organisation ASTM International has approved the launch of a new technical committee that will focus on creating and updating standards for the field of recovered carbon black (rCB).
Recovered carbon black is derived from post-consumer rubber such as automobile tyres, and is more affordable and more sustainable than traditional carbon black.
The Committee on Recovered Carbon Black (D36) will develop standards in areas such as: the decomposition of scrap tyres, other scrap-rubber components, sustainability, and material characterisation.
The committee was formed from members of the organisation’s existing Committee on Carbon Black (D24) – as well as other experts – who saw a growing and distinct portfolio of standards work related to recycling carbon-black products.
Anthony “Tony” Thornton, who formerly served on the organsation’s board of directors, was appointed to chair the new committee. Thornton is the director of product integrity and performance at Micromeritics Instrument Corporation, a global company headquartered in Norcross, Georgia (USA).
The committee will host their first meeting on March 27 in Brussels, Belgium, in conjunction with the annual conference of the European Tyre Recycling Association (ETRA). Initial major tasks of the committee include revising and adopting several standards currently under the jurisdiction of D24.