Journal of Materials Science and Emerging Technologies
Research Article Volume: 1 & Issue: 2
Abstract
The increasing demand for sustainable and cost-effective materials has intensified interest in alternative sources of carbon black derived from waste resources and environmentally friendly processes. This study investigates the production of recovered carbon black (rCB) from the pyrolysis of scrap rubber tires and its application in nitrocellulose-based flexographic printing inks. The rCB was obtained through pyrolysis of waste tires at temperatures ranging from 350–600°C and subsequently processed into pigment concentrates using optimized dispersion techniques. The performance of the developed rCB pigment was benchmarked against commercial PRINTEX®35 carbon black manufactured by Orion Engineered Carbons GmbH. The pigment concentrates were prepared using a controlled formulation and dispersed through bead milling to achieve a uniform particle size distribution. The developed inks were evaluated in terms of shade, rheological behavior, gloss, pH stability, tint strength, opacity, tonal value, and adhesion performance. Experimental results demonstrated that the recovered carbon black exhibited performance comparable to commercial carbon black while offering significant cost and sustainability advantages. The findings highlight the potential of waste tire-derived carbon black as an environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and circular alternative for industrial flexographic printing ink applications.
Keywords: Carbon black, Sustainable recycling, Pyrolysis, Printing inks, Waste valorization, Sustainable materials