Hankook switches to eco-friendly synthetic carbon black

Hankook Tire has begun mass production of tires using three types of certified eco-standard ISCC Plus technical carbon, derived from pyrolysis oil made from recycled old tires. 

The introduction of new raw materials was implemented as part of the work of the consortium created by Hankook in November 2023, which is developing eco-friendly materials suitable for use in mass tire production. 

The project, called the Tire-to-Tire Circular Economy Model, was launched in South Korea to create a circular economy business model that will allow used tires to be used as raw materials for the production of new tire products. The consortium, in addition to Hankook, includes 12 other Korean companies and organizations that "aim to meet the demand for new eco-friendly materials and solutions to achieve carbon neutrality in the global market".

The new technical carbon brands were developed in cooperation with the petrochemical company HD Hyundai Oilbank and HD Hyundai OCI. Their production uses purified oil obtained during the pyrolysis of used tires, and certification according to the international standard ISCC Plus, which companies undergo on a voluntary basis, confirms the environmental friendliness of the raw materials.

"This partnership not only promotes the transition of the tire industry to a circular economy by replacing petrochemical raw materials with reusable materials, but also helps to reduce dependence on oil, reduce consumption of natural resources and reduce the carbon footprint," said Hankook.

In the future, Hankook will continue to cooperate with consortium partners to develop and implement the production of technical carbon made 100% from pyrolysis oil, and by 2050, the company intends to fully switch to the use of eco-friendly raw materials.

Hankook is also implementing other "green" initiatives, and, for example, not so long ago, the company received the highest rating - three stars - according to the FIA environmental certification system.