# Carbon black: Emissions

The carbon cost of blackening a tyre

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 2.40 t CO2e per t range 1.8-3.5 · derived from IVL/Enviro LCA (2019): rCB cuts 1.43-2.00 kg CO2 per kg, a 79-84% reduction, implying about 1.8-2.4 t for virgin black; higher where tail gas is flared Global emissions per year 32.0 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 2.4 t x about 13.5 Mt

Per t of rubber-grade carbon black, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Enviro/IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute LCA, Mar 2019 (derived, indicative). Global total: derived (indicative).

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 17% Production / process 79% Movement 4%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 0.4 t CO2e per t | 17% | refining or coke-oven emissions allocated to residues | allocation choices matter | indicative |
| **Production / process** | about 1.9 t CO2e per t | 79% | partial combustion of feedstock in the reactor and burning tail gas | credits for exported electricity lower net figures | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.1 t CO2e per t | 4% | bulk bags by truck and ship | small | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – | carbon black sits in tyres | tyre wear releases particles (tyre wear dust) into air and water | indicative |
| **End of life** | about 3.5 t CO2 per t if burned | – | tyre-derived fuel in cement kilns and incinerators | carbon black is about 97% carbon, so combustion releases about 3.5 t CO2 per t (stoichiometric); pyrolysis to rCB avoids this | stoichiometry (indicative) |

#### Other environmental impacts

SO2 and NOx from sulphur-rich feedstocks; particulate emissions; tyre wear particles; IARC 2B classification.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Recovered carbon black from tyre pyrolysis: 79-84% lower CO2 (IVL/Enviro 2019)
- Methane pyrolysis with clean power, co-producing hydrogen (Monolith)
- Tail-gas power export to displace grid power (PCBL 84 MW captive)
- Bio-oil or circular pyrolysis-oil feedstock (indicative)
- Silica substitution in treads where it lowers rolling resistance

#### India

India's producers run on tail-gas power and add renewables (PCBL Tamil Nadu 24 MW green power); India's end-of-life tyre pyrolysis industry is large but informal, so rCB quality is a constraint (indicative).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Recovered carbon black** | about 0.4-0.5 t CO2e per t (derived from 79-84% reduction) | not published | Enviro 9 kt/yr plant (Sweden); tyre makers trialling blends | Enviro press release Mar 2019 |
| **Methane pyrolysis carbon black** | near-zero direct CO2; depends on power and methane leakage (indicative) | not published | Monolith, Nebraska; Goodyear supply agreement (2021) | Monolith; Biofuels Digest |

 For a climate investor Two routes stand out. First, quality recovered carbon black from India's end-of-life tyres, where tyre makers face extended producer responsibility (EPR) targets for waste tyres. Second, methane pyrolysis that sells both carbon black and hydrogen. What has to be true: rCB that meets tyre specifications at scale, and buyers willing to pay for lower-carbon black.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/carbon_black/links/index.md)