United States. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced the signing of a collaboration agreement and letter of intent with Monolith for the development and potential use of carbon black produced from methane and/or tire biomethane.
Goodyear has adopted this form of carbon black produced through a plasma-based methane pyrolysis process, which will help advance Goodyear's work to identify and use more sustainable materials.
"At Goodyear, we are committed to sustainability and making a positive impact by choosing the materials we use," said Chris Helsel, senior vice president of global operations and chief technology officer. "Our collaboration with Monolith is an example of how we use sustainable materials in quality products that offer a better future."
Carbon black is a key ingredient in tires, providing tire compounds with strength, improved tear resistance, and increased abrasion resistance. A typical consumption tire is made of 15-20% carbon black by weight. Traditional carbon black comes from the combustion of residual oil or coal tar oil.
Goodyear is evaluating carbon black produced from methane and/or biomethane as part of its work with Monolith, renowned in the production of hydrogen and clean materials. Monolith's plasma-based process harnesses renewable electricity to complete methane pyrolysis and results in the production of only carbon and hydrogen.
"We are proud to collaborate with Goodyear in manufacturing clean, high-quality carbon black for Goodyear and support their ongoing mission to make their tires more sustainable," said Rob Hanson, co-founder and CEO of Monolith. "We are honored to work with companies like Goodyear who share our passion for quality products that are responsibly manufactured, and we look forward to seeing what advancements this collaboration will bring to the tire industry."
A completed life cycle assessment for Monolith by a third party shows that the plasma-based process should generate environmental benefits throughout the life cycle, including a reduction in carbon emissions, compared to traditionally produced carbon black.
In addition, the life cycle assessment shows that this technology has the potential to have a carbon neutral to carbon negative impact, based on increased utilization of biomethane feedstock versus natural gas in the future. Monolith's life cycle assessment is scheduled to undergo external review and more details of the quantitative environmental benefits may be shared in the near future.
