South Korean recycler LD Carbon has opted for US-based Mars Mineral’s pelletising technology equipment. The latter will install the pin mixer technology at LD Carbon’s newest pyrolysis and recovered carbon black (rCB) facility.
LD Carbon is a material industry company that supplies its Green Carbon Black, an eco-friendly rCB made from waste tyres that have been pyrolysed, refined, and processed for reuse by tyre and rubber manufacturers. LD Carbon also reclaims pyrolysis oil from the process that is used for replacing crude oil and raw material of petrochemical products.
According to the Tire Industry Project for the World Business Council, 4 billion waste tyres are in landfills and stockpiles worldwide, causing soil and water pollution. In addition, many are burned as fuel, causing serious air pollution and carbon emissions. End-of-life tyre (ELT) pyrolysis, along with other methods, mitigates environmental risks.
Mars Mineral pin mixer equipment takes the fine pyrolysed char from ELTs and pelletises it in the presence of a binder, usually water. The resulting dried rCB pellets are easier to package and transport to end-users in the rubber, plastics, and paint and coatings industries.
“Pelletising is vital to moving the output from a pyrolysis plant to their customers. It is an important link in material circularity strategies, which derive value from unrecovered post consumer materials like ELTs. We welcome this opportunity with such an ecologically progressive company as LD Carbon,” said Clayton Woodward, Mars Mineral CEO.
“In early 2024, it’s projected that LD Carbon’s rCB production capacity will reach 16 kilotonnes/year. We believe LD Carbon can bring quality rCB in pelletised form to key customers in tyre and rubber industries by incorporating Mars Mineral’s technology,” said Bumseek Kim (BK), LD Carbon CCO.
Last year, LD Carbon had said that it had succeeded in attracting US$15 million of “Series A” investment in its pyrolysis, crushing, and rCB facility.