Continental Drives Up Renewable Content in Tires with Rice Husk Silica and Recycled Carbon Black

Continental Drives Up Renewable Content in Tires with Rice Husk Silica and Recycled Carbon Black

(IN BRIEF) Continental is boosting the share of renewable and recycled materials in its tires from 26 percent in 2024 to over 40 percent by 2030. The company now uses silica made from rice husk ash instead of quartz to enhance grip and lower rolling resistance via an energy-efficient, circular process. For carbon black, Continental employs bio-based tall oil and recycled pyrolysis oils, alongside direct pyrolysis recovery of end-of-life tires, all managed through a mass-balance system that avoids changes to production lines. Collaboration with Pyrum Innovations further expands reclaimed carbon black use, currently applied in forklift tires and being adapted for broader tire ranges.

(PRESS RELEASE) HANOVER, 8-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Continental is accelerating its shift toward renewable and recycled inputs in tire manufacture. In 2024, nearly 26 percent of the materials in its tires came from bio-based or reclaimed sources; that figure is projected to climb by two to three points in 2025. By 2030, more than 40 percent of the raw materials in Continental’s tire portfolio will be sustainable, without sacrificing the safety, quality or performance that drivers expect.

Two key fillers—silica and carbon black—are at the heart of this transformation. Traditionally, silica derives from quartz, but Continental now sources high‐performance silica made from rice husk ash, an agricultural by-product from rice milling. This biomass-based process consumes less energy than conventional methods and supports a circular economy, while preserving the tread’s grip and reducing rolling resistance. Meanwhile, Continental has developed three routes to greener carbon black: producing it from tall oil waste, substituting pyrolysis oil recovered from end-of-life tires, and directly reclaiming carbon black via efficient pyrolysis of used tires. All three options are integrated using a mass-balance approach that blends bio-oils or recycled oil with fossil feedstocks without altering existing production lines.

“Innovation and sustainability go hand in hand at Continental,” explains Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability, Continental Tires. “Using silica derived from rice husk ash is completely new territory for the tire industry—and it costs us nothing in terms of safety, quality, or performance.”

Continental is also partnering with Pyrum Innovations to refine its thermolysis recycling technology, which extracts carbon black from worn-out tires. To date, this recovered carbon black has been incorporated into forklift-tire production. Ongoing collaboration aims to meet the stringent performance requirements needed to extend its use across more passenger and commercial tire applications.

Media Contact:

Henry Schniewind
Head of External Communications
Continental Tires
+49 511 938-21810
henry.schniewind@conti.de

SOURCE: Continental