Evonik teams with Pörner Group and Phichit Bio Power to supply bio-based silica for tires

In Thailand, Evonik has entered a strategic cooperation with the Pörner Group, Austria and Phichit Bio Power Co., Ltd., Thailand, to supply sustainably precipitated ULTRASIL silica to tire manufacturers. It is made from sodium silicate derived from rice husk ash (RHA), that is produced exclusively with biomass energy sources. In this way, the global tire industry is supported in its quest for carbon neutrality.

Silica is the key-ingredient for fuel-efficient tires, reducing the fuel consumption by up to eight percent compared to conventional passenger car tires. With the sustainable ULTRASIL silica a next step will be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the silica significantly. The silicate, which is the essential raw material to produce the tire silica will be biobased and made with green energy. The demand for sustainable raw materials in tires is increasing significantly. However, until now only very small quantities of biobased silica are available in the market, which do not meet the rising global demand.

The new collaboration addresses this shortage and the industry’s ambition to increase its use of renewable raw materials. Pörner Group’s pioneering process to generate the silicate from RHA uses biomass energy that enables Evonik to deliver a CO2 footprint reduction of up to 30% compared to its standard silica. Phichit Bio Power Co., Ltd. with its existing rice mills and biomass power plants, licenses Pörner Group’s technology and will invest in a new RHA sodium silicate plant in Thailand. This operation will allow a reliable supply of biobased water glass for Evonik. This is required to meet the global tire industry’s demand for more sustainably produced silica.