3.4 MILLION TONS OF END-OF-LIFE TIRES ANNUALLY in Europe REQUIRE A SOLUTION.
OURS IS CALLED THERMOLYSIS.
Pyrum specializes in the industrial recovery of raw materials from end-of-life tires. Using thermolysis technology, the company recovers valuable components such as oil, carbon black and gas, making them usable again for industrial applications. Instead of incinerating or exporting valuable materials, Pyrum creates new raw material cycles. In this way, the company combines recycling, technology development and sustainability with the goal of transforming waste streams into system-critical resources for industry.
The Technology
WE CANNOT REINVENT THE WHEEL.
BUT WE CAN REINVENT HOW TO RECYCLE IT.
Using our patented technology, we transform rubber and plastic waste into system-critical raw materials for industry. What sets us apart is our patented Pyrum-Vertical Reactor: Inside it, the rubber granules are heated under controlled conditions in the absence of oxygen and thermally decomposed without incineration.
Learn about our process in detail:
Delivery and Shredding
Large quantities of end-of-life-tires are delivered to the main facility in Dillingen, where they are stored and sorted for further processing. This is followed by mechanical shredding, during which the input material is shredded, and the rubber granules are separated from the steel and textiles.
Secondary raw material in four grain sizes
(1-6mm)
FIBER AND STEEL SEPARATION
Depending on the type of tire, up to 100 kg of textile fibers and 150–250 kg of steel wire are extracted from 1 ton of end-of-life tires. Through further processing of the steel wire, Pyrum achieves a purity of over 95 percent.
The resulting rubber granules are further processed
THERMOLYSIS
The process takes place in a closed, air-tight system. What makes it unique is Pyrum’s patented vertical reactor: Inside it, the rubber granules are heated and thermally decomposed under oxygen-free conditions. The granules move through the vertical reactor by gravity, while the temperature and process conditions can be precisely controlled to ensure a consistently high quality of the resulting raw materials.
The process produces oil, coke and gas, from which valuable secondary raw materials can be generated and returned to industrial cycles.
RECOVERY OF RAW MATERIALS
The vapors produced during the thermolysis process are condensed and separated into oil and gas, while the thermolysis coke is discharged separately, cooled and further processed. The cooled thermolysis coke is further processed into ThermoTireBlack® (TTB) through milling and pelletizing.
The Raw Materials
- Gas
- ThermoTireBlack® (TTB)
- ThermoTireOil® (TTO)
energy generation
The gas is then used to generate electricity in the company’s own power plant with the help of turbines. The electricity generated in this way flows directly back into the production process and is used to operate the thermolysis plant. At the same time, the conversion of gas to electricity generates heat, which is used for the drying process in the milling and pelletizing plant.
The Raw Materials
WE BRING VALUABLE MATERIALS BACK INTO THE CYCLE
The recycling process initially produces various material streams: rubber granules, which are used in subsequent steps to produce ThermoTireOil® and ThermoTireBlack®, as well as steel wire and textile fibers as byproducts. The key raw materials include ThermoTireOil®, ThermoTireBlack®, and Gas. In this way, scrap tires are transformed into valuable raw materials that re-enter industrial value chains.
ThermoTireBlack® (TTB)
Produced from thermolysis coke that has been milled and then pelletized.
ThermoTireBlack® can replace part of conventional carbon black in certain applications, which can contribute to reducing the CO₂ footprint.
ThermoTireOil® (TTO)
Obtained from the vapors produced during the heating of rubber granulate in the thermolysis process and subsequently condensed;
REACH-registered.
ThermoTireOil® can be used as a feedstock in chemical production processes and partially replace fossil raw material sources.
Gas
is used to supply energy to the thermolysis plant.
Sustainability
“THE EARTH’S RESOURCES ARE FINITE. THEREFORE, WASTE MUST BE OUR RAW MATERIAL SOURCE OF THE FUTURE.”
For Pyrum, the circular economy is not an abstract sustainability promise, but an integral part of its business model. Instead of incinerating or exporting end-of-life tires, Pyrum breaks them down into their valuable components. Using patented thermolysis technology, the company produces raw materials that can partially replace primary fossil-based raw materials.
This is precisely why it is particularly relevant for Europe. Many industries rely on primary fossil raw materials and international supply chains. Pyrum demonstrates that some of these raw materials are already available in Europe – bound up in materials that were previously often considered waste. By recovering oil, industrial carbon black, and other valuable materials, Pyrum can help make raw material cycles more regional, independent, and resilient.
After the one-time start-up with external energy, the thermolysis plant supplies itself with energy during ongoing operation. According to a life cycle analysis conducted by Fraunhofer in 2022, the examined Pyrum process shows a net CO₂ saving of up to 965 kg CO₂ equivalent when processing one ton of end-of-life tires, including heat utilization. Pyrum does not solve the raw material shortage alone, but the company demonstrates a concrete path for how waste can become value creation again.
The following film shows how this creates a sustainable industrial system.
Research
“30.9 MILLION TONS OF END-OF-LIFE TIRES ARE GENERATED WORLDWIDE EVERY YEAR:
I TURN THEM INTO CERTIFIED QUALITY.”
Research and development are among Pyrum’s core competencies. The goal is to continuously advance the patented recycling technology technology and to identify new applications for waste streams that are difficult to recycle. To secure the technological lead and the quality of the recovered secondary raw materials in the long term, Pyrum operates its own laboratory for internal development work and customer research projects.
This allows for the targeted analysis of process parameters, the optimization of product properties, and the evaluation of new waste streams for their suitability for thermolysis. The insights gained are directly incorporated into the further development of processes, products, and applications.
TTB Development with Continental
In the research cooperation with Continental that has been ongoing since 2022, the two companies are specifically developing ThermoTireBlack® (patent application under the name “rCB”) for use in new tires. By optimizing raw materials, thermolysis parameters, and post-treatment, two new TTB types with improved properties for rubber and tire compounds have already been developed, tested, and patented.
New Material Streams: CFRP Recycling
In addition to end-of-life tires, Pyrum is researching other materials that are difficult to recycle and for which there are currently few circular solutions. This includes the recycling of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, or CFRP for short. An automated, semi-industrial demonstration plant has been commissioned at the Dillingen site for this purpose. It is slated for further expansion in the future and will serve as the foundation for scaling up the technology and its use in in-house recycling facilities.
Certificates
