Prism Technology Breaks Tire Recycling Barriers

Kirkland, Washington-based material solutions provider Prism Worldwide has  announced a trio of groundbreaking innovations poised to transform the recycling and sustainable materials industries. The company has made key advancements in odor reduction, sustainable thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) development, and high-content Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) reuse, three challenges long considered barriers to wider adoption of recycled materials in consumer and industrial products.

Prism’s American-made materials are developed using non-capital-intensive processes that deliver lower costs compared to virgin materials, enabling customers to achieve sustainability goals without increased cost, a particularly appealing value proposition in the industry.

“This is a turning point for end-of-life tire recycling and sustainable polymer development,” said Bob Abramowitz, CEO, Prism Worldwide. “These are not incremental improvements. We’ve tackled odor, cost, and performance, three of the biggest barriers to more widespread adoption of recycled materials, and overcome them all with commercially viable solutions.”

“Our team’s diligence in developing solutions that solve these challenges allows us to deliver cost-effective, high-performance materials without requiring customers to pay a green premium. Companies pay lip service to sustainability values, but they change their tune when it costs more. We are creating additional profit opportunities while helping them to meet corporate sustainability objectives.”

Today, customers can use Prism materials without changing the manufacturing process. These step changes introduce new ways to use up to 50 percent of recycled end-of-life tire materials in injection or rotational molding and extruding, a significant increase from what was previously possible. This opens new processes that were formerly limited to compression molding and enables companies to offer products such as gym mats and automotive interiors that are made using recycled materials but no longer produce unpleasant odors.

Prism said its proprietary odor-reduction process has also been validated in an independent lab to automotive-grade odor panel testing and VOC requirements and its materials meet the requirements for automotive interiors, consumer products, building materials, and other odor-sensitive applications.

In an industry first, Prism has developed a patent-pending TPV formulation that uses revulcanized end-of-life tire rubber rubber to create sustainable, high-performance thermoplastic elastomers, allowing TPV manufacturers to offer sustainable solutions in extremely valuable polymers.

EPDM rubber is widely used in automotive weatherstripping and gaskets, roofing, and industrial applications, but it is difficult to recycle because it is cross linked. Prism’s patent-pending devulcanization process makes it possible to reuse EPDM at high content levels while delivering on key physical performance properties. Additionally, Prism said its patent-pending devulcanization process provides a cost benefit compared with virgin materials without sacrificing quality.

With these breakthroughs, Prism is setting a new standard for what recycled materials can achieve. By solving problems that have limited adoption for decades, the company is making sustainability practical, profitable, and scalable.

Prism’s a groundbreaking patent-pending method effectively eliminates tire odors during the manufacturing of end-of-life tire rubber products. This innovation opens doors for our materials to be used in motor vehicles and residential/commercial settings, setting us apart in the devulcanization sector. Furthermore, our solution extends to recycled plastics, showcasing our commitment to sustainability.

Our recent advancements in devulcanizing EPDM and TPV materials mark significant industry milestones. Imagine the possibilities of incorporating recycled EPDM in large quantities while maintaining material specifications and reducing costs compared to virgin EPDM. The environmental benefits, including carbon savings, further highlight the impact of our progress.

Prism was founded on the principle that there should be a better use for end-of-life (ELT) tires. We recognize that to solve this long-standing issue, we need solutions that provide performance-oriented products. This requires that we address the problem differently.

Developed and patented in the United States, Prism’s technology and products are American-made and American-sourced. Prism provides a cost-effective solution that helps end users increase profitability by using sustainable materials.

We are bringing new patented technology to the market by producing polymer intermediates derived from ground tire rubber. These performance solutions for TPE, TPV, TPO markets (Ancora) and rubber modified plastics polymer markets (Ennova) are sustainable and circular, creating higher value uses for end-of-life tires and offering a route to Making Tires More Circular.

In November 2022, Prism acquired CRC Polymer Systems (CRC), a custom compounding company supplying compounds, resins, and colors to the plastics industry.

© Scrap Tire News, July 2025