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Mercedes-Benz turning scrap tyres into car parts

Mercedes-Benz is working with a number of partners in order to achieve a circular approach to end-of-life tyres (ELT).

One route takes advantage of BASF’s chemical recycling process. The starting point is pyrolysis oil generated from used tyres by pyrolysis company Pyrum Innovations AG.

BASF combines this with biomethane from agricultural waste. Using both of these materials together, Mercedes says it is possible to create a virgin-quality plastic that is certified in accordance with the so-called mass balance approach.

An independent certification confirms that the supplier replaced the quantity of fossil resources necessary for the final product with renewable resources and pyrolysis oil from ELT.

Door handles will be the first products to have their fossil raw materials replaced by biomethane and pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tyres. These will appear on Mercedes-Benz EQE and S-Class models later this year.

The S-Class will also come with a crash absorber based on this combination of raw materials.

The cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and BASF marks the first use of pyrolysis oil from ELT combined with biomethane.

The recovery of secondary materials reduces not only the use of fossil resources but also the carbon footprint of the resulting plastic. Furthermore, for the first time, the innovative recycled plastic has the same characteristics as virgin plastic produced from crude oil.

This enables it to be applied quickly to ongoing production as a drop-in solution. At the same time, it fulfils Mercedes-Benz’s high quality demands, especially in respect of paintability and crash safety.

These properties mean the process has the potential to replace a large number of vehicle components made from primary plastic, according to the German automaker.