Sumitomo began using reclaimed carbon black

Sumitomo Rubber Industries has begun using recycled technical carbon (rCB) in the production of racing tires, which will make their debut on August 2-3 at the fourth stage of the Super GT series at the Fuji Speedway circuit in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Sumitomo has been working on mastering rCB in conjunction with Mitsubishi Chemical since January, and by the end of the year, it plans to start using it in the production of passenger car tires for civilian use. 

As part of the joint project, Sumitomo supplies Mitsubishi Chemical with rubber waste generated during tire production, as well as crushed used tires. In turn, Mitsubishi Chemical processes the raw materials in coke ovens to produce technical carbon, which helps to conserve resources. The resulting rCB is used in the production of new tires, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions.

Sumitomo's new project is being implemented as part of the Towanowa initiative, which aims to reduce the environmental impact, including through the use of eco-friendly materials. 

Recycled technical carbon is already being used by many other tire manufacturers, which increases the proportion of "green" materials in their products.