ASTM International introduced a new standard (D8632) developed by its Recovered Carbon Black Committee (D36), aiming to promote a lifecycle approach to tyre materials and support greater consistency and transparency within the growing rCB market
New Standard
“Recovered carbon black is a semi-reinforcing filler obtained from post-consumer rubber products such as tyres and conveyor belts,” says ASTM member Jorge Lacayo-Pineda. “Through various thermal decomposition processes, the feedstock is converted into oil, gas, and raw rCB. After subsequent post-processing steps, the final product is rCB.”
Lacayo-Pineda noted that the standard classification system described in D8632 is essential for defining product categories and facilitating trade between rCB producers and users. Additionally, the classification will promote fair competition by enabling quality comparisons within a specific category rather than across all rCB products.
Under D8632, materials are identified with the letter “R” to indicate recovered carbon black, followed by two numeric classifications. The first number represents the class of toluene transmittance, while the second indicates the class of inorganic content.
“The new standard will help promote the transition toward a circular economy,” says Lacayo-Pineda. “Moving to a circular economy requires designing products and systems with resource recovery in mind. End-of-life tyres can be transformed into valuable raw materials, and rCB is one such example.”
