Recovered carbon black, or rCB, is emerging as one of the most promising materials in the circular economy. Produced by pyrolyzing end-of-life rubber products like tires, rCB offers a sustainable alternative to virgin carbon black (vCB), reducing waste and dependence on fossil fuels. But for rCB to be widely adopted in plastics, rubber compounding, and coatings, it must meet the same tight quality standards as virgin grades. That’s where advanced sieving and separation technology from Elcan Industries comes into play.
The Challenges with rCB (Recovered Carbon Black)
The challenge most manufacturers face with recovered carbon black lies in its particle uniformity and purity. After pyrolysis, rCB often contains agglomerates, oversize particles, and trace metal contaminants from steel belts or catalysts used during production. Without additional processing, these irregularities can affect dispersion, surface area, and final product performance.
Traditional vibratory screeners and low-energy sieves tend to blind the screen mesh quickly when handling rCB due to its ultra-fine particle size and low bulk density. This not only reduces yield but also leads to inconsistent product quality from batch to batch.
The Hi-Sifter Sieving Machine for rCB Material
Elcan Industries’ Hi-Sifter screening machine technology provides a breakthrough in recovered carbon black refinement. Unlike conventional vibratory or ultrasonic systems, the Hi-Sifter uses high-energy vertical motion that keeps the fine rCB particles fluidized across the entire screen surface. This motion eliminates mesh blinding and enables separations down to 10 microns, resulting in a highly uniform and free-flowing powder.
Regular sieving technologies like vibratory and ultrasonic sieving machines typically struggle to screen material below 74 microns efficiently. Their low-energy motion and limited vibration amplitude make it nearly impossible to maintain throughput or prevent blinding at finer mesh sizes. This is exactly where the Hi-Sifter thrives, delivering consistent, high-yield separations where other systems fail.
For most rCB producers, the target cut point falls in the 20–50 µm range, depending on the desired surface area and end-use application. The Hi-Sifter’s energy level and screen design allow operators to maintain consistent particle size distributions even at these fine levels, producing material suitable for use in tires, masterbatches, inks, and coatings.
The Benefits of Sieving rCB on the Hi-Sifter
Improved Consistency: The Hi-Sifter delivers precise control over particle size, ensuring that every batch of rCB meets customer specifications for dispersion and performance.
Higher Yields: With no screen blinding, the Hi-Sifter maintains continuous flow and high throughput, recovering more usable material from each run.
Cleaner Product: The enclosed stainless-steel design prevents external contamination while the vertical motion dislodges soft agglomerates and fines, creating a cleaner and more refined powder.
Scalable for Production: Available in multiple sizes, the Hi-Sifter can handle both R&D-scale trials and full-scale industrial production, giving manufacturers flexibility as they grow capacity.
Removing Metal Contamination with the CG Electromagnetic Separator
While the Hi-Sifter handles the particle refinement, Elcan’s CG Electromagnetic Separator can play a crucial role in removing ferrous contamination from rCB. During pyrolysis, residual steel wires and metal fragments often end up in the recovered product stream. The CG Electromagnet, rated for Class II Div II environments and capable of reaching up to 19,500 Gauss, effectively removes even the smallest traces of iron and magnetic particles.
For rCB producers, running material first through the CG Electromagnetic Separator and then through the Hi-Sifter ensures a two-stage purification process first magnetic separation, then precision sieving resulting in a clean, uniform, high-quality recovered carbon black ready for reuse.
Building a Cleaner, More Circular Carbon Black Industry
As the carbon black industry transitions toward sustainable production, recovered carbon black will play an increasingly important role in closing the loop. But adoption depends on quality, and that means controlling particle size, removing contaminants, and delivering a consistent, high-performing material.
Elcan Industries provides the technology to make that possible. With the Hi-Sifter delivering tight particle control down to 10 µm and the CG Electromagnetic Separator removing trace metals before sieving, rCB producers can meet demanding performance standards while reducing waste and environmental impact.
Recovered carbon black is no longer just a byproduct; it’s a viable, valuable material for the future of manufacturing. And Elcan Industries is helping companies make that future a reality.
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