Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) is collaborating with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, on an early-stage research project investigating whether end-of-life tires could be used to produce green graphite for battery and energy-related applications.

The initiative, titled Green Graphite Production from Recycled Tyres, is jointly funded by TSA and CSIRO and aims to evaluate the technical feasibility of converting waste tire materials into graphite-based products.

The research project is currently underway and is expected to continue through March 2027.

Exploring new pathways for tire recycling

The project is focused on building a technical evidence base to better understand the opportunities and limitations associated with producing graphite materials from recycled tires.

Researchers are examining what processes may be technically viable, what barriers could affect commercial deployment, and what additional development work would be required before industrial-scale applications could be considered.

Graphite is a key material used in lithium-ion batteries and a range of energy storage technologies, creating growing interest in alternative and lower-emission sources of supply.

Potential links between tire recycling and battery materials

The research reflects broader industry efforts to identify higher-value applications for materials recovered through tire recycling and advanced recovery technologies.

End-of-life tires contain significant amounts of carbon-rich material, which has attracted increasing attention from researchers investigating applications tied to energy storage, carbon materials, and industrial sustainability.

Processes linked to pyrolysis and thermal conversion already generate carbon-based outputs including recovered carbon black (rCB) and pyrolysis char, which are being studied for potential use in batteries, construction materials, and specialty industrial products.

While the current project remains at an early research stage, it highlights growing interest in expanding the circular economy potential of recycled tire materials beyond traditional applications such as crumb rubber and rubberized asphalt.

Research focused on technical feasibility

TSA and CSIRO emphasized that the project is currently exploratory and focused on understanding technical and practical considerations rather than immediate commercialization.

The organizations said additional findings and updates will be shared as the research progresses.

The initiative comes as governments, researchers, and industry groups continue exploring new recovery pathways for end-of-life tires in support of sustainability, resource efficiency, and advanced recycling goals.

To learn more about the project, see the website of Tyre Stewardship Australia.