Chilean Startup Recycles Old Tires into Electric Vehicle Batteries
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Chilean startup T-Phite is turning used tires into batteries for electric vehicles through a process called pyrolysis. This creates oil, steel, and carbon black from the tires.
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Carbon black contains graphite that's essential for conducting electricity in batteries. It's typically made from fossil fuels.
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Using tires solves waste disposal and battery material demand issues, creating a circular economy. Over 250 million tires are scrapped yearly in the U.S. alone.
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T-Phite's process could work for lithium-ion and next-gen sodium batteries. Investors are interested in scaling it up.
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Research shows tire-derived carbon black can improve battery charging speeds. So there's promise in using this material over other sources.