Dear colleagues & friends of recovered carbon black,
How has your year 2023 started?
We have 5.370 subscribers to this newsletter, thank you for your interest! Here is your monthly dose of recovered Carbon Black news.
2023 Events
For me, the event season starts this month, in February, with my online particpation at the conference of the "Material Recycling Association of India" on Thursday February 2nd at 11h45 IST time.
March will be a busy conference month with both TireTechnology Expo in Hannover from March 21st - 23rd and the European Tire Recycling Association (ETRA) conference in Brussels from March 29th - 31st.
👉 If you would like to present in the ETRA pyrolysis forum, please contact Jean-Paul Bouysset (bouysset.jeanpaul@gmail.com)!
2023 content creation & live streams
I will film and possibly live stream on Linkedin and Youtube at both events in March. Contact me if you want to be interviewed or featured!
ASTM updates
Very little news surfaced after the committee week in December 2022 and some of my industry friends recommended me attending the next committee week in June 2023 in person.
However, at a closer look on the ASTM website and with the help of my friend Pieter ter Haar, I found four in my opionion important news for the rCB industry:
(1) ASTM D8491-22 FT Rheology
The Fourier Transformation Rheology analysis method developed by the Continental Tire team around Prof. Dr. Jorge Lacayo-Pineda is now confirmed as ASTM D8491-22. I am already using this analysis as my go-to quick analysis for assessing recovered carbon black quality. This method analyses the reinforcement properties of recovered carbon black or furnace carbon black in unvulcanised rubber compounds.
(2) D36.70 rCB Testing in Rubber
A new sub-committee has been build on the topic of "rCB Testing in Rubber" with participation of colleagues from major corporations like Continental, Bridgestone, Michelin, Birla Carbon, Cabot and Orion Engineered Carbons and, of course, rCB producers.
(3) WK84622 Sustainability of recovered carbon black
This work item is for creating a "Standard Guide for Sustainability of recovered carbon black". This standard will be very important because green credentials like carbon footprint are an important part of the value proposition for recovered carbon black. However, on the topic of carbon footprint, I recommend reporting the carbon footprint with transparency and honesty instead of greenwashing with a life cycle analysis based on the avoidance of emissions. I recommend reporting the 3 scopes of emissions (see Global Reporting Inititiative): Direct emissions from production (scope 1), purchase of energy (scope 2) and supply chain emissions upstream and downstream (scope 3).
(4) WK84831 Recovered Carbon Black Classification
This ASTM work item will be arguably the most useful standard for recovered carbon black. It will help producers to know what to produce and buyers to know what they purchase.
However, for this classification system more established analysis methods under either D36 "recovered Carbon Black" or D24 "Carbon Black" are required, some of which are still work items (e.g. WK71958 "Particle size analysis", WK73460 "Shelf life" and WK81244 "TGA").
I also think that a recovered carbon black classification will only work when the whole industry agrees and when existing proposals for classifications are harmonised into this system, such as the "rCB Rubber Project" product categorisations and my rCB1 specifcation.
Prospects for recovered Carbon Black 2023
With my colleague Paul Ita (Notch Consulting Inc.) I am currently updating the only peer reviewed industry report on recovered carbon black, which has been the reference report for many leading tire and carbon black manufacturers in 2022.
If you are a recovered carbon black producer, Paul and I will reach out to you in the next days in order to get a business update from you and your view on the industry.
We aim to publish "Prospects for recovered Carbon Black 2023" by the end of February 2023. It will be available online in the webshop of Wolfersdorff Consulting Berlin (www.wolfersdorff.com) and by email order from Notch Consulting Inc.
Video news
I am building my Youtube and Linkedin social media channels on the topics of sustainability coaching, tire-to-tire recycling, recovered carbon black and content creation. Have a look at my videos and let me know your feedback!
My Youtube channel:
Carbon Black & rCB
Linkedin LIve stream recording: Free webinar rCB for bankers & investors (with Notch Consulting Inc. & Alpen Group):
Asking CHAT-GPT about recovered carbon black:
The opening of the Smithers recovered Carbon Blacl Conference 2022:
Why coaching is your secret to success:
Thank you for reading this far! You really seem to like recovered carbon black!
Please give me your feedback and your comments below this article! If you require consulting support, please send me an email or contact me on my website chat!
Best wishes from Berlin,
Martin
Prospects for recovered Carbon Black 2023
Wolfersdorff Consulting Berlin
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