Use of carbon generated during pyrolysis processes as electrode material in batteries and for electric arc reactions

Abstract

Electrode material for batteries or for electric arc reactions comprising pyrolytic carbon, wherein the pyrolytic carbon is obtained by pyrolysis of i) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, or ii) mixtures of i) with at least one kind of hydrocarbons; and a battery comprising an electrode material comprising at least one conductive material, at least one binder and at least one active material, wherein the conductive material and / or the active material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon as obtained according to the present invention; and a conductive composition for an electrode material for batteries comprising at least one conductive material, wherein the conductive carbon comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon as obtained according to the present invention; and an electrode material for electric arc reactions comprising a) at least one carbon material, b) optionally graphite, anthracite coal, coke or mixtures thereof, and c) optionally a binder, wherein the carbon material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon as obtained according to the present invention; and a process for preparing an electrode material for batteries or for arc pyrolysis; and use of pyrolytic carbon obtained by pyrolysis of i) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, or ii) mixtures of i) and at least one kind of hydrocarbons; in an electrode material for batteries or for electric arc reactions.

Description

[0001]Use of carbon generated during pyrolysis processes as electrode material in batteries and for electric arc reactions The present invention relates to an electrode material for batteries or for electric arc reactions comprising pyrolytic carbon, wherein the pyrolytic carbon is obtained by pyrolysis ofi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-resi-due (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) ormixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) with at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, bu-tane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane,and a battery, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries comprising an electrode material comprising at least one conductive material, at least one binder and at least one active material, wherein the conductive material and / or the active material comprises or consists of the py- rolytic carbon as obtained according to the present invention, anda conductive composition for an electrode material for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alka-line batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, more preferably a lithium-ion battery, comprising at least one conductive material, wherein the conductive carbon comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon as ob- tained according to the present invention, and an electrode material for electric arc reactions comprisinga) at least one carbon material,b) optionally graphite, anthracite coal, coke or mixtures thereof, andc) optionally a binder,wherein the carbon material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon as obtained according to the present inven- tion, anda process for preparing an electrode material for batteries or for arc pyrolysis comprising the steps:a) pyrolyzingi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shred-der-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) and at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane,butane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane;whereby pyrolytic carbon in form of primary particles is obtained,b) optionally further processing the pyrolytic carbon in form of primary particles obtained in step a), preferably byone or more of the following processing steps graphitization, purification, activation, chemical modification,carbonization, densification or surface coating;c) mixing the pyrolytic carbon obtained in step a) or optionally obtained in step b) – in the case of batteries – withcarbon black, carbon nano tubes (CNT) or mixtures thereof, and – in the case of arc pyrolysis – with graphite,anthracite coal, coke or mixtures thereof, and use of pyrolytic carbon obtained by pyrolysis ofi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-resi-due (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) ormixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) and at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, bu-tane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane;in an electrode material for batteries or for electric arc reactions. Pyrolysis offers a promising route for valorizing plastic waste into fuels, chemicals, and byproducts while addressing the limitations of mechanical recycling and therefore has a great potential to achieve maximum economic and envi- ronmental benefits. Pyrolysis is performed by heating in the absence of oxygen at high temperatures (generally between 350 and900°C). Wherein “absence” in the meaning of the present application means no or essentially no oxygen.Generally, the pyrolysis process generates three different products(i) Oil (pyrolysis oil), e.g. hydrocarbons comprising paraffins, isoparaffins, olefins, naphthenes, and aromatics,(ii) gas (generally noncondensable; pyrolysis gas) with a high calorific value, and(iii) solids (pyrolytic carbon; pyC).The yields and characteristics of the obtained products depend on several parameters such as the raw material char- acteristics, the reactor design (size, fixed bed, fluidized bed, etc.), and the operating conditions (temperature, heatingrate, and residence time).The pyrolysis oil is generally a viscous oil containing a mixture of condensed aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbonsand oxygenated compounds. It can be used as a fuel, for chemical production or as a starting material for refining.The pyrolysis gas is generally a combustible gas mixture of hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propene andother light hydrocarbons. This gas can be used as a fuel. One opportunity, but also a challenge, is the solid carbon that is generated during the process. It must be bound long-term to prevent the release of CO2. This can be achieved, for example, by using the material in the construction or materials industry, or in road construction. Alternatively, it could also be used to improve the properties of agricul- tural soils. However, in the large-scale (waste) pyrolysis, these carbon sinks can reach their capacity limits, which could ultimately limit the use of pyrolysis until other applications are found.WO 2020 / 016186 A1 describes the use of pyrolytic carbon obtained by pyrolysis of hydrocarbons for the productionof anodes for aluminum production by electrolysis of aluminum ores (bauxite). WO 2023 / 117618 A1 relates to the use of a hydrophobic pyrolytic carbon obtained by pyrolysis of hydrocarbons with a density of 1 to 3 g / cc, a carbon content of 95 to 100 weight-%, and an ash content of 0.001 to 5 weight-%, wherein85 weight-% of the carbon is not functionalized, as a protective agent for macro- and megafauna.CN107580732A relates to a cathode material mixture and a secondary battery comprisingthe same, which exhibits excellent lithium ion conductivity and low resistance characteristics by containing a porestructure and a conductive network formed, and can be improved when used for a battery low temperature outputcharacteristics and high temperature storage characteristics.EP 4077244 A1 relates to the use of granular pyrolytic carbon having a density of 1.6 to 2.3 g / cc, a specific surface area of 0.001 to 5 m2 / g, a particle size of 0.3 mm d10 to 8 mm d90 and a carbon content of 95 to 100 weight-% for soil conditioning, e.g. to promote growth of plants, to promote soil drainage and to prevent erosion, evaporation, cap- ping, crusting and silting up. The pyrolytic carbon is preferably used as a mulch. CN103540172A relates to a method and a system for preparing a recycled carbon black by pyrolysis and carbon re- moval of waste rubber and plastic products, in particular to a pyrolytic carbon which has high proportion of deep deashing and surface modification to enhance the reinforcing effect of pyrolysis carbon, and a method and system for removing ash from recycled carbon black. WO2024 / 239061 A1 relates to a method of preparing a carbon based additive material comprising (i) chemically pre- treating a pyrolyzed carbon residue, and (ii) carbonizing the pyrolyzed carbon residue to produce a carbon-based additive material (CBAM). The application of this carbon-based additive material to cathodes results in a significant improvement in the cycle life of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metal Ion (AAEMI) batteries by up to 15%. In addition to the already known applications of pyrolytic carbon, there is a need for further applications for ecologi- cally and economically reasonable applications, especially for pyrolytic carbon from waste pyrolysis. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide applications for pyrolytic carbon from waste pyrolysis. The advantage of the application of pyrolytic carbon is, among other advantages, to close the carbon cycle. Less carbon loss in a sustainable carbon-based circular economy means fewer CO2 emissions. The object is achieved by an electrode material for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, or for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc fur-nace reactions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for thepreparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases, comprising pyrolytic carbon, wherein the pyrolytic carbon is obtained by pyrolysis ofi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-resi-due (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) ormixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) with at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, bu-tane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane.It has been found that the pyrolytic carbon obtained in the pyrolysis according to the invention is particularly efficientin the applications of the invention as described herein.In the meaning of the present application, the term “batteries” covers conventional (generally disposable) batteries(sometimes also called primary cells) as well as rechargeable batteries (accumulators, sometimes also called sec-ondary cells).Preferably, the batteries are selected from the group consisting of lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acidbatteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, more preferably lithium-ion batteries. Generally, the battery types mentionedbefore are known in the art.In an electric arc reaction an electrical current flows through a normally non-conductive medium, typically a gas (in-cluding air), between two electrodes. The electric arc reaction is a visible plasma discharge that occurs when anelectric current ionizes gases between two electrodes. The reaction generally produces intense heat. Electric arc re-actions are known in the art. Preferred electric arc reactions according to the present invention are electric arc fur-nace reactions, more preferably the electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne and plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases, which are generally known in the art and described in more detail below. In the context of the present invention, the term "pyrolysis" relates to a thermal decomposition or degradation of plas-tic waste generally under oxygen free conditions and results in a (generally noncondensable) gas, an oil and solids(pyrolytic carbon; PyC) fraction. During the pyrolysis, the plastics are converted into a great variety of chemicals in-cluding gases such as H2, C1-C4-alkanes, C2-C4-alkenes, ethyne, propyne, 1-butyne, pyrolysis oil having a boilingtemperature of generally 25° C to 500° C and pyrolytic carbon.The pyrolytic carbon according to the present invention is obtained by any pyrolysis method known in the art for thepyrolysis ofi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-resi-due (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) ormixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) with at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, bu-tane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane.Suitable pyrolysis processes for waste pyrolysis are known in the art and for example described in WO2010127664A1, US4203804, EP0035001 A2, Wilson Uzochukwu Eze et al. AIMS Clean Technologies and Recycling Volume 1,Issue 1, 50–69 and the literature mentioned therein.The pyrolysis process includes slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis and ultra-fast / flash pyrolysis. The processes are knownin the art and especially differ in their heating rates. The fast pyrolysis is generally preferred for the pyrolysis of plas-tic waste according to the present invention.Slow pyrolysis (non-isothermal): Slow pyrolysis is the slow heating of the feedstock in absence of oxygen. Instead ofcombusting, the volatiles from the organic material evaporate partly, and a product (char) remains, consisting for a large part (normally 80%) of carbon. Slow pyrolysis is also called carbonization, and emphasizes the solid char as main product, instead of fast pyrolysis which emphasizes the liquid product. Heating rates is kept at 10°C / s.Fast pyrolysis (Isothermal): Fast pyrolysis involves rapidly heating the feedstock to moderate temperatures (400–600°C) at short residence time (few seconds) to yield high amount of pyrolysis liquid fuel. Fast pyrolysis provides a condition to maximize the production of the liquid, the reactor is considered to operate isothermally. It is the most common of the methods, both in research and in practical use in pyrolysis of plastics. Heating rates is kept at 100°C / s.Ultra-fast / flash pyrolysis: Ultra-fast, or flash pyrolysis is an extremely rapid thermal decomposition pyrolysis, with ahigh heating rate, the main products are gases and bio-oil. Heating rates can vary from 100–10,000°C / s and resi- dence times are short in duration.(See also: Wilson Uzochukwu Eze et al., AIMS Clean Technologies and Recycling Volume 1, Issue 1, 50–69)The pyrolysis includes thermal pyrolysis, catalytic pyrolysis, and microwave-assisted pyrolysis. The processes areknown in the art. Thermal pyrolysis: Thermal cracking or pyrolysis involves the depolymerization or cracking of the plastics materialsby heating them to a very high temperature generally in the absence of oxygen or – in some embodiments - in lowoxygen environment. The temperature generally ranges from 350 to 900°C, preferably 400 to 850°C. The productsformed include: gaseous, liquid (oil) and carbonized char (pyrolytic carbon (PyC)). The oil is usually recovered fromthe condensable fraction of the volatile product, while the remaining is a noncondensable high calorific value gas. Thermal pyrolysis is a thermochemical treatment (TCT) its oil product is generally a mixture of paraffins, isoparaffins, olefins, naphthenes, and aromatics. The residence time in the thermal pyrolysis varies depending on the specific process and the materials used. Typi- cally, the residence time is 1 min to 120 min, preferably 5 min to 90 min, more preferably 10 min to 60 min. Also, the pressure in the thermal pyrolysis varies depending on the specific process and the materials used. The pressure is typically 0.01 to 20 bar, preferably 0.1 to 10 bar. Catalytic pyrolysis: Catalytic pyrolysis involves the degradation of the polymeric materials by heating them generallyin the absence of oxygen and in the presence of at least one catalyst. Catalysts are employed in plastic pyrolysis pri-marily to lower the energy requirement, influence the composition of the product through cracking and reduce theprocess time. Preferred catalysts for plastic waste pyrolysis include silica, alumina, silica-alumina, zeolites (e.g.HZSM-5 zeolite, ZSM-5 zeolite, Y zeolite), fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), mobil classification of materials (MCM) (e.g.MCM-41) or combinations thereof.High conversion is usually achieved with zeolite-based catalysts, like natural / modified zeolites, due to their high acidstrength compared to nonzeolitic catalysts, as such tends to give more gaseous product. It is also possible to carry out the pyrolysis in one or more stages, e.g. in two stages using different catalysts or in one not catalyzed stage and one catalyzed stage.Effect of Catalyst Contact Mode: The pyrolysis according to the present invention can be carried out by two basicmodes by which catalyst can be used in the pyrolysis of plastics in a reactor: liquid phase contact (in-situ) and vapor phase contact (ex-situ). In the former, the catalyst and polymer are mixed together, and then they are placed in the reactor and heated to appropriate reaction temperature. However, in the later, the polymer is first subjected to ther- molysis to produce the volatile fraction. The catalyst is introduced in the path of the moving vapor, and as the vaporpasses through the catalyst, the hydrocarbon vapor is cracked to get the required product distribution.Effect of polymer to catalyst ratio: The polymer to catalyst ratio has significant effect on both the yield and composi-tion of plastic pyrolysis products. With the increase in the amount of catalyst, a direct proportionality in terms of in- crease in conversion or general effectiveness is not obtained. The increase in catalyst amount increases the conver- sion up to particular limit, but a further increase in the catalyst percentage does not give any appreciable increase inthe conversion rate. Generally, the polymer to catalyst weight ratio is from 0.01 to 0.3 : 1, preferably from 0.02 to 0.2 :1.Effect of temperature: Temperature has a strong effect on the pyrolysis process, if the catalytic pyrolysis is takingplace at higher operating temperature or at high heating rates, it enhances bond breaking as such tends to favour the production of smaller molecules. As the extent of conversion increases with increase in temperature, formation of gaseous product is improved with resulting decrease in liquid products. The effect of different catalysts on the liquid yield and the product distribution becomes less significant with increasing temperature this is because the reaction taking place becomes similar to thermal degradation. Basically, catalytic pyrolysis of plastics proceeds at much lowertemperature compared with thermal pyrolysis under the same process condition. Generally, the temperature in thecatalytic pyrolysis is 250 to 600°C, preferably 350 to 550°C. The exact residence time depends on factors such as the type of plastic, temperature, catalyst used, and specificprocess conditions. In general, the residence time in the catalytic pyrolysis is 3 sec to 60 min, preferably 5 sec to 30min, more preferably 10 s to 15 min. Also, the pressure in the catalytic pyrolysis varies depending on the specific process and the materials used. The pressure is typically 0.01 to 15 bar, preferably 0.01 to 10 bar. Microwave-assisted pyrolysis: Microwave pyrolysis (also known as microwave-assisted pyrolysis) is pyrolysis that involves microwave dielectric heating. Microwaves interact in three ways with different materials; it is reflected by conductors, transmitted by perfect insulators, or absorbed and decayed on the way inside materials depending on their dielectric properties. The heat is generated in dielectric materials due to agitation of molecules by the alternating electromagnetic fields. The mechanism of plastic microwave pyrolysis is based on absorbing the microwave energy via absorbent and subsequently transferring thermal heat to the plastic via conduction. Typical microwave energiesare 1 to 8 KW, preferably 1.8 to 6 KW.The exact residence time depends on factors such as the type of plastic, temperature microwave energies, and spe-cific process conditions. In general, the residence time in the microwave-assisted pyrolysis is 1 min to 120 min, pref- erably 3 min to 90 min, more preferably 5 min to 80 min. The temperatures in microwave-assisted pyrolysis of waste can vary depending on the waste material and process parameters. Typically, a temperature range of 300 and 1100°C, preferably 400-800°C is targeted to achieve effective pyrolysis. However, the use of microwaves can lead to hot spots in the material, resulting in local temperatures ex- ceeding 1000°C. The pressure in microwave-assisted pyrolysis of waste is generally low to moderate and depends on the process conditions. The pressure can typically be maintained in the range of 0.1 to 20 bar, preferably 0.1 to 10 bar. Since mi- crowave pyrolysis is usually conducted at lower temperatures compared to conventional pyrolysis, the pressure gra- dient within the reactor is also lower. The physical properties and the volume ratio of the absorbent affect the uniformity of heating distribution. However, plastics cannot absorb microwave energy, as it has a very low dielectric loss factor. Therefore, an absorbent is gen-erally mixed with the plastic to aid in heating the plastic in pyrolysis. Materials with high dielectric loss factor are goodcandidates as absorbents for plastic pyrolysis e.g. tire shredded and silicon carbide, carbon, iron mesh.(See also: Wilson Uzochukwu Eze et al., AIMS Clean Technologies and Recycling Volume 1, Issue 1, 50–69) Further, the pyrolysis is carried out in any suitable reactor. Common reactors used for waste pyrolysis are rotary kilns, fixed bed, fluidized bed, moving bed, tubular and batch and semi-batch reactors. Plasma is also used for waste pyrolysis, which requires a specialized plasma reactor. Further, a liquid metal process may be used for pyrolysis, thisalso requires a specialized reactor. The reactors and processes are known in the art. Preferred reactors are fixedbed, fluidized bed, and moving bed reactors, more preferred are fluidized bed, and moving bed reactors.The pyrolysis process is carried out as batch, semi-batch or continuous process, depending, among others, on thetype of waste. Fixed bed, fluidized bed, moving bed reactors: The catalyst is normally packed and palletized in a static bed in a fixed-bed reactor. The key advantage of these is their design simplicity, but on the other hand, there are some limitations, like the irregular shape and size of the plas-tic particles used as feedstock, which during the feeding process cause difficulties. Another disadvantage is that thereaction’s access to the catalyst’s usable surface area is limited.Preferably, fluidized bed or moving bed reactors are used in plastic pyrolysis processes. The reactor generally pro-vides constant temperature with high heat and mass transfer, reliable mean time distribution, and uniform products spectrum.In a fluidized bed reactor, the catalyst – in case of a catalytic pyrolysis - sits on a distributor plate through which thefluidizing gas moves and the particulates are held in a fluid state. Since the catalyst is mixed thoroughly with the sol- vent, there is greater accessibility to the catalyst, resulting in a wider surface area for the reactions to take place. With effective and viable heat transfer, this decreases process volatility. In a moving bed reactor, the material is kept in a (generally shallow) bed that is continuously in motion. The particles in the bed are fluidized at a specific velocity by gas pumped through it.Furthermore, when compared to batch reactors, the fluidized bed or moving bed reactor is more flexible as it doesnot require regular feedstock charging, which makes the process steady. Therefore, because of the lower operatingcost, the fluidized bed or moving bed reactor is preferred as waste pyrolysis reactor.Batch and semi-batch reactors Batch reactors are the most basic reactors used in chemical reactions. They are closed systems that work in an un- steady state, which means that no reactants or products inflow or outflow are possible during the reaction. In batch reactors, high residence time means higher conversion rate, which is one of their main advantages. The downsides of batch reactors are high labor cost and the difficulty in maintaining extensive production. A semi-batch reactor, on the other hand, allows product removal and reactant addition at the same time. Concerning reaction selectivity, the semi-batch reactor has the advantage of being able to incorporate reactants over time. High labor cost and small- scale production are the main downsides of a semi-batch reactor.The batch reactors and semi-batch reactors are favorable and feasible to be utilized in waste plastics pyrolysis pro-cess because it is easy to monitor the parameters of these reactors which promote the high yield of liquid. These re- actors were however not appropriate for catalytic plastic pyrolysis due to the formation of coke on the outer surface of the catalyst which would affect the overall product composition. These reactors are only suitable for laboratory exper- iments because, on a large scale, it is difficult to maintain per unit of production. Spouted bed reactors The spouted bed reactor (CSBR) offers fine amalgamation and can accommodate a broad particle size distribution, different particle densities, and larger particles. The CSBR offers inconsiderable defluidization issues while pro- cessing sticky materials and also provides excellent heat transfer between the phases. However, the main down- sides of this reactor are product collection, entrainment and feeding of the catalyst, and high operating cost. The present invention therefore further relates to the inventive electrode material, wherein the pyrolytic carbon is ob- tained by pyrolysis in fixed, moving or fluidized bed reactors, preferably in fluidized bed or moving bed reactors. According to the present invention, the pyrolytic carbon is obtained by pyrolysis ofi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-resi-due (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) ormixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) with at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, bu-tane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane.In the meaning the present invention, plastic (or plastics) means a polymer material to which additives or substancesmay have been added. IUPAC defines a polymer as a “molecule of high relative molecular mass, the structure of which essentially comprises the multiple repetition of units derived, actually or conceptually, from molecules of low relative molecular mass”. (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Compendium of polymer terminology and nomenclature: IUPAC recommendations, 2008; RSC Pub.: Cambridge, 2009; p 443.). Plastic waste generally refers to any plastic material discarded after use, e.g., plastic material having reached the end of its useful life, considered post-consumer waste, as well as post-industrial waste. The plastic waste can be pure polymeric plastic waste, mixed plastic waste or film waste, including soiling, adhesive materials, fillers, residues etc. The plastic waste may have an oxygen content, a nitrogen content, sulfur content, halogen content and option- ally also a heavy metal content. The plastic waste can originate from any plastic material containing source. In an- other aspect, the term “plastic waste” also includes production waste e.g., from polymer processing in factories. Accordingly, the term “plastic waste” includes industrial and domestic plastic waste and including used tires and agri- cultural and horticultural plastic material. Typically, plastic waste is a mixture of different plastic materials, including hydrocarbon plastics, e.g., polyolefins such as polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE) and polypropylene, polystyrene, and copolymers thereof, etc., and polymers composed of carbon, hydrogen, and other elements such as chlorine, fluorine, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, silicone, etc., for example chlorinated plastics, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), etc., nitrogen-con- taining plastics, such as polyamides (PA), polyurethanes (PU), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), etc., oxygen- containing plastics such as polyesters, e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), etc., silicones and / or sulfur bridges crosslinked rubbers. Typically, the plastic material comprises additives, such as processing aids, plasticizers, flame retardants, pigments, light stabilizers, lubricants, impact modifiers, antistatic agents, antioxidants, etc. These additives may comprise ele- ments other than carbon and hydrogen. For example, bromine is mainly found in connection to flame retardants. Heavy metal compounds may be used as lightfast pigments and / or stabilizers in plastics. Cadmium, zinc, and leadmay be present in heat stabilizers and slip agents used in plastics manufacturing. The plastic waste can also containresidues. Residues in the sense of the invention are contaminants adhering to the plastic waste. The additives andresidues are usually present in an amount of less than 50 wt.-%, preferably less than 30 wt.-%, more preferably lessthan 20 wt.-%, even more preferably less than 10 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the dry weight plastic.Examples of rubber waste (which is also considered “plastic waste” in the sense of the present invention) include end-of-life tires, rubber waste produced during manufacturing processes and discarded rubber containing products such as latex examining gloves and gaskets. The plastic waste may generally be any kind of plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT), mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof. Mixed plastic waste (MPW) is generally post-consumer plastic packaging waste. It generally has a complex and un- predictable composition (due to high polymer heterogeneity, additives, and contaminants). MPW for example com- prises 50 to 80 wt% of different kinds of plastics, e.g. LDPE, HDPE, PP, PET, PS, EPS, PVC, ABS and 20 to 50 wt% of other fractions (metals, textiles, paper, and inert materials). One example for MPW is the waste from the German yellow bag. One example for MPW is shown in Table 1 in F. Ardolino et al., Waste Management 171 (2023) 662– 675. The table shows a fractional and elementary composition of a reference MPW, composed by 70% of not recy- clable plastic packaging and 30% of other fractions. Said reference waste composition derived from that estimated by Lase et al. (2023) (Lase, et al., 2023. How much can chemical recycling contribute to plastic waste recycling in Eu- rope? An assessment using material flow analysis modelling. Res. Cons. Rec.192, 106916 https: / / doi.org / 10.1016 / j.resconrec.2023.106916. - accessed on April 15, 2024), which is representative of post-consumer plasticpackaging waste currently not recycled in Europe and obtained by a material flow analysis (MFA) implemented at European scale. This waste stream contains other fractions (polymers from other sectors, metals, textiles, paper, and inert materials), whose amount and typology are obtained from direct measurements carried out by the Italian Na- tional Consortium for the Collection and Recycling of Plastic Packages (Corepla, 2023. Italian National Consortiumfor the Collection and Recycling of Plastic Packages (https: / / www.corepla.it / en - accessed on April 15, 2024). Per-sonal communication by A. Furiano and D. Pollon.) The automotive shredder residue (ASR) may be obtainable, preferably is obtained, by shredding vehicles. Preferably, the automotive shredder residue is obtainable by depollution of the vehicles, dismantling the vehicles, shredding the vehicles, and separating metal particles from the shredded vehicles. The vehicles are typically end-of-life vehicles (also called “ELV”), which are typically at least 15 years old. The vehi-cles can be passenger cars, light-duty or heavy-duty trucks, motorbikes, a utility vehicle, an agricultural vehicle, orrecreational vehicles. The vehicle can be an electric vehicle, such as a fully electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehi- cle.In depollution of vehicles hazardous liquids such as fuel, lubricating oil, coolants, brake fluids and batteries can beremoved from the vehicles prior to shredding.The dismantling of vehicles may comprise selective removal of parts, such as engines, gearboxes, tires, glass andplastics, for being reused as spare parts for the second-hand market. The dismantling may also comprise the re- moval of larger plastic components, such as bumpers, dashboard, fluid containers for recycling the plastics sepa- rately. The ASR may comprise further waste from other sources. For examples, garbage from the last owners may remain in the trunk or interior of the vehicles. The advantage of the present process is that it can handle broadly varying compositions of the ASR. The shredding can be made with a vehicle shredder machine. Vehicle shredder machines are manufactured in differ- ent sizes. Typically, a vehicle shredder machine comprises a heavy fast-turning rotor, which may revolve in a vertical or a horizontal plane and is often equipped with swinging hammers. The vehicle shredder machine tears and shreds the car hulk until its parts are reduced to fragments with a desired fragment size, such as up to 30 cm, preferably 1 mm to 15 cm. Then the fragments may pass through grids and leave the rotor housing.After shredding, the metal fragments such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal fragments can be separated from theshredded vehicles. The ferrous metal fragments can be removed by magnetic separators. The non-ferrous metalfragments can be separated from the shredded vehicles by eddy current separators, by heavy media sink / float unitswhich separate on the basis of density, or by manual sorting. Typically, 60 – 90 wt% of the vehicle weight is metal,which can be separated from the shredded vehicle.The automotive shredder residue may represent about 10 - 40 wt%, preferably from 15 - 35, and in particular from 20– 30 wt% of the original vehicle weight.The automotive shredder residue may comprise fragments of various polymeric vehicle parts, such as fragments ofbumpers, interior panels, dashboard, cable insulation, fuel tank, electrical insulation, flexible foam seating, foam insu- lation panels, automotive suspension bushings, electrical potting compounds, car body parts, pillar coverings, spoil- ers polymer parts coated with automotive paint, wheel covers, gears, bushes, cams, bearings, weatherproof coat-ings, interior and exterior trims, fuel systems, gear housings, headlamp retainer, engine cover, connector housings,door handles, carburetor components, exterior mirror components, windscreen wiper components, windscreen wiper protective housings, decorative grilles, cover strips, roof rails, window frames, sliding roof frames, antenna cladding covers, front and rear lights, radiator grill and body exterior parts, engine covers, cylinder head covers, intake pipes, cylinder head covers, engine covers, housings for charge air coolers, charge air cooler valves. The automotive shredder residue may comprise fragments of various polymeric vehicle parts, such as fragments of- bumpers, interior panels, dashboard, cable insulation, where these fragments are often made of polypropylene;- fuel tank, electrical insulation, where these fragments are often made of polyethylene;- flexible foam seating, foam insulation panels, automotive suspension bushings, electrical potting compounds,hard plastic parts, transmission mounts, motor mounts, seals, impact foam parts, where these fragments are of- ten made of polyurethane;- body parts, dashboards, wheel covers, where these fragments are often made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene;- gears, bushes, cams, bearings, charge air coolers, cylinder head covers, oil pans, engine cooling systems, ther-mostat and heater housings, exhaust systems including mufflers and housings for catalytic converters, air intake manifolds, timing chain belt front covers, where these fragments are often made of nylon 6 or nylon 6.6.;- interior and exterior trims, fuel systems, small gears, where these fragments are often made of polyoxymethylene;- wiper arm and gear housings, headlamp retainer, connector housings, where these fragments are often made ofpolyethylene terephthalate; and- door handles, bumpers, carburetor components, where these fragments are often made of polybutylene tereph-thalate. The automotive shredder residue may comprise at least 30 wt%, preferably at least 40 wt%, and in particular at least50 wt% of the fragments of the polymeric vehicle parts.The automotive shredder residue may comprise at least 20 wt%, preferably at least 30 wt%, and in particular at least40 wt% of the fragments of the polymeric vehicle parts, which are black polymeric vehicle parts. The black polymericvehicle parts usually comprise carbon black pigments. The automotive shredder residue may comprise up to 15 wt%, preferably up to 10 wt%, and in particular up to 5 wt% of metal fragments, such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal particles. The automotive shredder residue may comprise up to 15 wt%, preferably up to 10 wt%, and in particular up to 5 wt% of wood and cardboard. The automotive shredder residue may comprise up to 15 wt%, preferably up to 10 wt%, and in particular up to 5 wt% of glass fragments, e.g. broken window glass fragments. The automotive shredder residue can be separated into a shredder light fraction (also called SLF) and a shredder heavy fraction (also called SHF). The separation of the SLF and the SHF can be achieved by air classification. An- other air classification can be made by the rotary movement of the vehicle shredder machine may create a fanningaction that can blow out the shredder light fraction, and the shredder heavy fraction may leave the vehicle shreddermachine through a grid.The SLF can be present in an amount of 55 - 90 wt%, preferably 65 - 85 wt%, and in particular at 70 - 80 wt% of theautomotive shredder residue. The SHF may represent the remaining amount to 100 wt%.The SHF can be present in an amount of 10 - 45 wt%, preferably 15 - 35 wt%, and in particular at 20 - 30 wt% of theautomotive shredder residue. The SLF may represent the remaining amount to 100 wt%. The SLF usually contains a lower weight percentage of rubber particles than the SHF. The SLF usually contains a lower weight percentage of glass particles than the SHF. The SLF usually contains a lower weight percentage of metal particles than the SHF. The SLF usually contains a higher weight percentage of polyurethane foam particles than the SHF. The SLF usually contains a lower weight percentage of solid and sand than the SHF.Figure 1 shows a possible flow scheme with a suitable process sequence for obtaining the automotive shredder resi-due. Starting from the vehicles, followed by optional depollution, followed by optional dismantling, followed by shred- ding the vehicles, followed by optional separating the metal fragments from the shredded vehicle, then the ASR is obtained, followed by optional separation of the ASR in shredder light fraction and shredder heavy fraction. According to https: / / www.etrma.org / wp-content / uploads / 2019 / 09 / appendices-a-framework-for-effective-elt-manage-ment-systems-final-25.6.10.pdf - accessed on April 15, 2024, End of life tire (ELT) is defined as follows:“a tire that can no longer be used for its original purpose; all tires including passenger car, truck, airplane, agricul- tural, 2-wheel & off-road tires result in ELTs; however, most ELTs result from car and truck tires”.Tires are not made only of rubber, which generally represents 35 to 55 wt%, e.g. around 45 wt% of their mass, butalso for example of steels belts, textile overlays, reinforcing fillers and / or additives. The rubber fraction of tires is nat-ural rubber and / or synthetic rubber (mainly butadiene rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber). The composition of pas-senger car and truck tires differs mainly for the higher natural rubber content present in truck tires.In Table 1 in F. Valentini, A. Pegoretti, Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research 5 (2022) 203-213 anAverage composition of fuel-efficient passenger car and truck tyres is mentioned: Plastic solid waste (PSW) could be categorized depending on its source or point of origin, i.e. municipal, industrial, medical, etc. However, the majority of PSW is generated from households and commercial sources which combined are referred to as municipal plastic waste (MPW) (see above). This type of SW (solid waste) constitutes mainly the following plastic resin types: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVC) (Miandad et al., 2017). MPW are typically thermoplastics which are thermally recy- clable due to their non-resistance to heat nature. According to the ISO 15270 (2008), PSW could be recycled and treated to produce raw materials and the productions of high calorific compounds which could be used as fuels for energy production. The management of PSW in general will rid the environment of the accumulation of PSW and prevent pollution problems from landfilling such as toxins leaching that can contaminate ground water aquifers (Al- Salem et al., 2015) (see Achilleas Constantinou et al. “Plastic Solid Waste (PSW) in the Context of Life Cycle As- sessment (LCA) and Sustainable Management”, 2019). In a European Commission Proposal for a directive of the European parliament and the council amending directive2008 / 98 / EC on waste, vol.275; 2015, municipal solid waste (MSW) is defined as:“(a) mixed waste and separately collected waste from households including: paper and cardboard, glass, metals, plastics, bio-waste, wood, textiles, waste electrical and electronic equipment, waste batteries and accumulators; bulky waste, including mattresses and furniture; garden waste, including leaves, grass clipping; (b)mixed waste andseparately collected waste from other sources that is comparable to household waste in nature, composition andquantity; (c) market cleansing waste and waste from street cleaning services, including street sweepings, the content of litter containers, waste from park and garden maintenance.” Generally, MSW comprises 5 to 20 wt% of plastics of all kinds like LDPE, HDPE, PP, PET, PS, EPS, PVC, ABS.Electronic waste (E-waste) is any electrical or electronic equipment that has been discarded. This includes workingand broken items that are thrown away. E-waste is particularly dangerous due to toxic chemicals that naturally leach from the metals inside when buried. Common E-waste items are for example home appliances like microwaves, home entertainment devices, electric cookers, heaters, fans, communications and information technology devices like cell phones, smartphones, desktop computers, computer monitors, laptops, circuit boards, hard drives, home entertainment devices like DVDs, Blue Ray Players, stereos, televisions, video game systems, fax machines, copiers, printers, electronic utilities like massage chairs, heating pads, remote controls, television remotes, electrical cords, lamps, smart lights, night lights, treadmills, fitness watches, smart watches, heart monitors, diabetic testing equipment, office and medical equipment like copi- ers / printers, IT server racks, IT servers, cords and cables, WiFi dongles, dialysis machines, imaging equipment, phone & PBX systems, audio & video equipment, network hardware (i.e. servers, switches, hubs, etc.), power strips & power supplies, uninterrupted power supplies (UPS Systems), power distribution systems (PDU’s), autoclave, de- fibrillator. However, the definition of E-waste is likely to keep expanding. In an era of rapid technological advance-ment, more and more highly sophisticated electronic goods are being invented and manufactured.E-waste generally contains some form of toxic materials, e.g. beryllium, cadmium, mercury, and lead. Said toxic ma- terials pose serious environmental risks to our soil, water, air, and wildlife. When E-waste gets buried at a landfill, it can dissolve in microscopic traces into the gross sludge that permeates at the landfill. Eventually, these traces of toxic materials pool into the ground below the landfill. This is known as leach- ing. The more E-waste and metals at the landfill, the more of these trace toxic materials show up in the groundwater. The recycling of E-waste therefore serves a lot of useful purposes. Virtually all electronic waste contains some form of recyclable material. That includes materials like plastic, glass, and metals. Pre-treatment (optional): Optionally, the feedstock is pre-treated before entering the pyrolysis reactor. Generally, pre-treatment steps of plastic waste are known in the art. A suitable pre-treatment method or combination of pre-treatment methods in a pre-treat-ment unit should preferably provide a sufficiently homogeneous carbon-based feedstock to the pyrolysis reaction andlikewise enable a preferably continuous pyrolysis of the feedstock.A pre-treatment method or a combination of more than one pre-treatment methods in a pre-treatment unit preferably results in a homogenization of the physical and / or chemical properties of the feedstock. The pre-treatment method for the feedstock is preferably selected from the group comprising drying, comminution, classification, sorting, agglomeration, thermochemical methods, and biological methods. Thermochemical methods comprise torrefaction. In case the water content of a feedstock is too high, the preferred pre-treatment method for reducing the water con- tent of the feedstock is drying. In case the particle size of a feedstock is too large, the preferred pre-treatment method is selected from the group comprising grinding, shredding, milling, sieving and combinations thereof. In case the particle size of a feedstock is too small, the preferred pre-treatment for increasing the size of a feedstock is se- lected from the group comprising agglomeration, pelletizing, sieving, and combinations thereof. Preferably, the feedstock is pelletized prior to pyrolysis.According to the present invention, the pyrolytic carbon is obtained by pyrolysis of exclusively plastic waste, prefera-bly end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orpyrolysis of mixtures of plastic waste with at least one kind of hydrocarbons.Suitable kinds of hydrocarbons are any hydrocarbon comprising compounds known in the art.Preferred hydrocarbon comprising compounds comprise light hydrocarbons, preferably gaseous C1-C5 alkanes,even more preferably methane (C1 alkane), preferably in form of natural gas, associated gas, industry off-gas and / orbiogas / biomethane. Such feed streams typically comprise light hydrocarbons like methane, ethane, ethylene, pro- pane, propylene and butane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, inert gases like nitrogen, and sulfur components. The natural gas, depending on the natural gas reservoir, typically has the following composition: 60% and 99% Vol.- % of methane, 1 to 15 Vol.-% of C2-C4 alkanes, up to 20 Vol.-% sulfur components and up to 30 Vol.-% inert gases, especially nitrogen. Depending on the pipeline specifications, up to 20 Vol.-% of hydrogen might be added to the nat- ural gas. The associated gas typically comprises methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and butane and having the following composition: from 75 to 85% by volume of methane, from 1 to 10% by volume of ethane, from 1 to 10% by volume of propane, from 1 to 10% by volume of butane, from 0.1 to 5% by volume of nitrogen, from 0.1 to 10 % by volume of sulfur compounds and from 0 to 1% by volume of carbon dioxide. The biogas / biomethane typically has the following composition: from 50 to 75% by volume of methane, from 25 to 50% by volume of CO2, from 0 to 10 % by volume of sulfur compounds and from 0 to 10% by volume of N2.Preferred hydrocarbons ii) are natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane or mixtures thereof, morepreferably natural gas or methane.Since the pyrolysis carbon directly obtained by the pyrolysis process described above is optionally further processedbefore the inventive application, the carbon particles obtained directly in the pyrolysis process are referred to as pri- mary particles.Generally, the specific nature of the pyrolysis carbon (pyC) obtained directly from the pyrolysis (primary particles)depends on the pyrolysis process and on the feedstock used.Preferably, the primary particles are in form of granular carbon, carbon black or carbon powder. The electrode mate-rial according to the present invention therefore preferably comprises pyrolytic carbon comprising or consisting ofpyrolytic carbon directly obtained from pyrolysis as primary particles in form of granular carbon, carbon black or car- bon powder. More preferably, the pyrolytic carbon directly obtained from pyrolysis as primary particles has at least one of the fol- lowing properties, preferably all of the following properties:- a BET surface area of 40 to 150 m2g-1;- a carbon content of at least 80 wt%, preferably 85 wt% to 100 wt%, more preferably 86 wt% to 98 wt%; mostpreferably 90 wt% to 97 wt%;- a particle diameter D50 of at least 0.5 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 4 mm;- a density of 1.8 to 2.2 g / cm3.The present invention therefore more preferably relates to the inventive electrode material, wherein the pyrolytic car- bon directly obtained from pyrolysis as primary particles has at least one of the following properties, preferably all of the following properties:- a BET surface area of 40 to 150 m2g-1;- a carbon content of at least 80 wt%, preferably 85 wt% to 100 wt%, more preferably 86 wt% to 98 wt%; mostpreferably 90 wt% to 97 wt%;- a particle diameter D50 of at least 0.5 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 4 mm;- a density of 1.8 to 2.2 g / cm3.The particle diameter “D50” is also called median particle diameter or median particle size. For example, for a pow-der sample with D50 = 5µm, it means 50% of particles are larger than 5 µm and 50% particles are smaller than 5µm. The D50 can be assessed as a sample size of an SEM image, such as assessing D50 as a median particle sizeof 20 or more particles, or measured with a laser scattering particle size analyzer.The primary particles directly obtained from the pyrolysis preferably may be purified. Suitable processes are known inthe art and for example described in US 2020339819 A1.Further, as mentioned above, the preferably purified primary particles may in one embodiment of the invention furtherprocessed. Examples for further processing step are one or more of the following processing steps: Graphitization,purification, activation, chemical modification, carbonization, densification or surface coating. All processes areknown in the art. Suitable further processing of the pyrolysis char is for example described in US 20210317318 A1.The present invention therefore further relates to the inventive electrode material, wherein the pyrolytic carbon com- prises or consists of pyrolytic carbon, wherein the primary particles are further processed, preferably by one or moreof the following processing steps: Graphitization, purification, activation, chemical modification, carbonization, densifi-cation or surface coating.According to the present invention, the electrode material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon obtained asdescribed above, wherein the pyrolytic carbon is preferably exclusively in form of, preferably purified, primary parti-cles, in form of a mixture exclusively comprising preferably purified primary particles (according to the present inven-tion) and processed particles (according to the present invention), or exclusively in form of processed particles (ac-cording to the present invention). Suitable primary particles, processed particles and processing steps are mentionedabove. The pyrolytic carbon according to the present invention is present in an electrode for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, more preferably lith- ium-ion batteries, or in electrode for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnace reactions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases. Lithium-ion batteries: Carbon is frequently used as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries. The carbon serves as a host material in which lithium ions can be stored. When the battery is discharged, the lithium ions release electrons,which flow through the terminals and generate an electric current. When the battery is charged, the lithium ions re-turn to the carbon. In addition or as alternative, carbon can be used in lithium-ion batteries as conductive material (see below). Alkaline batteries: Alkaline batteries use a variety of anode and cathode materials, including carbon, zinc, and man- ganese dioxide. Carbon is often used as an anode material in alkaline batteries because it has high conductivity and provides a stable surface for electrolyte reactions. In addition or as alternative, carbon can be used in alkaline batter- ies as conductive material (see below). Lead-acid batteries: Lead-acid batteries have long been used as starter batteries for vehicles. They use a lead anode and a lead dioxide cathode, both filled with sulfuric acid electrolyte. However, carbon is used as an additional mate-rial to reinforce the electrode. In addition or as alternative, carbon can be used in lead-acid batteries as conductivematerial (see below). Nickel-cadmium batteries: Nickel-cadmium batteries contain a nickel hydroxide cathode and a cadmium anode, both immersed in an alkaline electrolyte. carbon can be used in lead-acid batteries as conductive material (see below).The electrode material (anode material and cathode material) for batteries according to the present invention gener-ally comprise the following components:a) at least one active material;b) at least one conductive material;c) at least one binder; andd) optionally at least one current collector,wherein the active material and / or the conductive carbon comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon obtained ac-cording to the present invention. The active material is the main component responsible for storing and releasing energy through electrochemical re- actions.Suitable active materials for cathodes are generally known in the art and for example a composite oxide having alayered rock-salt type structure such as – in case of the particularly preferred lithium-ion batteries – lithium cobaltate,lithium nickelate, lithium nickel manganese cobaltate, lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide and the like; a composite oxide having a spinel type structure such as lithium manganate, lithium nickel manganate; a composite oxide havingan olivine type structure such as – in case of the particularly preferred lithium-ion batteries – lithium iron phosphate,lithium manganese phosphate, lithium manganese phosphate, and mixtures thereof. Suitable active materials for anodes are generally known in the art and for example a carbon-based material such as artificial graphite, natural graphite, soft carbon, hard carbon; graphite-silicium-composites, a metal-based materialalloyed with an alkali metal such as silicon, tin; a metal complex oxide such as lithium titanate, and mixtures thereof.The carbon based materials for the anodes comprise in one embodiment of the present invention the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention.The conductive material is added to improve the overall conductivity of the electrode. It ensures efficient electrontransfer throughout the electrode structure. Suitable conductive materials are generally known in the art and for ex-ample conductive carbon, e.g. carbon black, carbon nanotubes and mixtures thereof.The conductive material is used in the cathode preferably in an amount of 0.5 to 10 wt%, more preferably 1 to 5 wt% based on the total weight of a), b) and c). The conductive material is used in the anode preferably in an amount of 0.5 to 15 wt%, more preferably 1 to 10 wt% based on the total weight of a), b) and c).The conductive materials, preferably the conductive materials for the cathode, comprise in one embodiment of thepresent invention the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention.According to the present invention, preferably the active material for the anode and / or the conductive material for theanode and / or cathode, preferably for the cathode, comprise the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention. The binder is generally a material that holds the active material and the conductive material together, maintaining thestructural integrity of the electrode. Suitable binders are generally known in the art and for example polymer materialssuch as polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, carboxymethyl cellulose, styrene-butadiene copolymer, poly- vinyl alcohol, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, carboxylic acid-modified (meth) acrylate copolymer and mixturesthereof. Among them, polyvinylidene fluoride, carboxymethyl cellulose or mixtures thereof are preferable in terms ofoxidation resistance when used for the cathode, and polyvinylidene fluoride, styrene-butadiene copolymer or mix-tures thereof are preferable in terms of adhesion when used for the anode.The current collector is generally a conductive metal foil on which the electrode mixture is coated.Suitable active materials for anodes are generally known in the art and for example copper. Suitable active materials for cathodes are generally known in the art and for example aluminum. The pyrolytic carbon is preferably present in the electrode material mentioned above in form of a conductive carbon material (conductive carbon) and / or as active material in a negative electrode.The present invention therefore further relates to the inventive electrode material comprising at least one conductivematerial, at least one binder and at least one active material, wherein the active material, preferably the active mate-rial in the anode, and / or the conductive material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention.Electrodes are anodes (negative electrode) and cathodes (positive electrodes). The pyrolytic carbon obtained ac-cording to the present invention is present in the anode and / or cathode.Preferably, the cathode comprises:ca) at least one active cathode material;cb) at least one conductive carbon (preferably 0.5 to 10 wt%, more preferably 1 to 5 wt% based on the totalweight of ca), cb) and cc)), andcc) at least one binder;wherein the conductive carbon comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present inven-tion.Suitable active cathode materials and binders for the cathode are mentioned above. Also, suitable conductive carbonmaterials in addition to the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention are mentioned above.Preferably, the anode comprisesaa) at least one active anode material;ab) at least one conductive carbon (preferably 0.5 to 15 wt%, more preferably 1 to 10 wt% based on the totalweight of aa), ab) and ac)), andac) at least one binder;wherein the conductive carbon and / or the active anode material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon ob-tained according to the present invention. Suitable binders for the anode are mentioned above. Also, suitable active anode materials and conductive carbon materials in addition to the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention are mentioned above.The components of the electrode are crucial for its performance, safety and cost-effectiveness. Relevant factors are:- Even distribution of components a), b) and c) throughout the electrode;- Good adherence to the current collector d);- Optimal density of the active material a).It has been found by the inventor that the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention effectivelyhelps to improve the factors mentioned above. It should be considered that the specific nature of the pyrolytic carbon obtained by the present invention depends on the pyrolysis process, on the feedstock used as well as on the optional purification process and optional further pro- cessing as mentioned above.The pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention, especially the – optionally purified - primary parti-cles, preferably in form of granular carbon, carbon black or carbon powder, are preferably employed as conductivecarbon material, generally either alone or in combination with other conductive materials, especially in combinationwith carbon black and / or carbon nanotubes.The present invention therefore further relates to the inventive electrode material comprising the pyrolytic carbon ob-tained according to the present invention as conductive material, at least one binder and at least one active material.Preferably, the conductive carbon comprises in addition to the pyrolytic carbon carbon black, carbon nano tubes (CNT) or a combination thereof. The present invention further relates to a battery, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries,lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, more preferably a lithium-ion battery, comprising an electrode ma-terial comprising conductive carbon at least one conductive material, wherein the conductive material and / or the atleast one active material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention.Preferably, the conductive material comprises in addition to the pyrolytic carbon carbon black, carbon nano tubes(CNT) or a combination thereof.The present invention further relates to a conductive composition for an electrode material for batteries, preferablyselected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, more prefera-bly a lithium-ion battery, comprising at least one conductive material, wherein the conductive material comprises orconsists of the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention. As mentioned above, the specific nature of the pyrolytic carbon obtained by the present invention depends on the pyrolysis process, on the feedstock used as well as on the optional purification process and optional further pro- cessing as mentioned above. In addition or alternatively to the presence of the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention in the conductive material or as conductive material in the inventive electrode material, preferably in the inventive cathodematerial, the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention may be present in the active material or asactive material. Electrodes for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, more preferably lithium-ion batteries, comprising the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention in the active material or as active material are described above. However, the present invention further relates to electrode material for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arcfurnace reactions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for thepreparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases, comprising the pyrolytic carbon ob-tained according to the present invention. In electric arc furnaces, the electrodes are gradually consumed during the process and need to be periodically ad- justed or replaced. The production of ethyne, also a valuable building block in the chemical industry, is for example carried out by high- temperature pyrolysis of light to medium petroleum fractions or natural gas at approximately 200°C. The resulting gas mixture is rapidly cooled below 200°C to prevent it from decomposing into elemental water and carbon. The cooling process yields a mixture of ethyne / ethylene from which ethyne is fractionated. The heat transfer is achieved through either arc pyrolysis or hydrogen arc pyrolysis (https: / / www.dimag-gase.de / index.php / acetylen / ). According tothe invention, the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention is used as the electrode material forthe electric arc.The preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases comprises the steps of: deliver-ing a first stream of carbon dioxide to an arc to form a plasma, delivering solid carbon to the plasma, at least a por- tion of said solid carbon delivered to the plasma from an electrode of solid carbon, and at least a portion of said solid carbon delivered to the plasma in powdered form, said solid carbon powder carried by a second stream of carbondioxide and injected into the plasma ahead of the arc, and quenching the resultant products (US4190636). Accordingto the invention, the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention is used as the electrode material forthe electric arc.Said electrode material for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnace reactions, more preferably electricarc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reactionof carbon dioxide containing gases, comprisesa) at least one carbon material,b) optionally graphite, anthracite coal, coke or mixtures thereof, andc) optionally a binder,wherein the carbon material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present inven- tion.The carbon material forms the main body of the electrode (anode or cathode), capable of withstanding high tempera-tures generally occurring in electric arc reactions. The carbon material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention. In case that the carbon material comprises further compounds in addi-tion to the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention, suitable further compounds are preferablygraphite, anthracite coal, coke or mixtures thereof.Preferably, the pyrolytic carbon obtained according to the present invention in the electrode material for electric arcreactions, is in form of primary particles in graphitized form or in form of further processed primary particles, prefera-bly by graphitization. Suitable optional binders for the electrode material for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnace reactions,more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of car-bon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases, for anodes and for cathodes are the binders men- tioned above.Optionally, additives are present in the electrode material for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnacereactions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the prepara-tion of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases. Suitable additives are for example oxides, carbides, or nitrides. Said additives can be added to enhance the performance, durability, or reactivity of the elec- trode. Additionally, the electrode material for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnace reactions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases may comprise a protective coating to enhance the performance or lon- gevity. Suitable protective coatings are known in the art. Suitable electric arc reactions are known in the art. An example for an electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation ofethyne is described in https: / / www.dimag-gase.de / index.php / acetylen / (uploaded from the internet on June 28, 2024),Duy Khoe Dinh, Dae Hoon Lee et al. RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 32403–32413, US 20150041309 A1, Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, Vol.22, No.1, March 2002. An example for a plasma arc reaction for the preparation of car-bon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases is described in US4190636.The present invention further relates to a process for preparing an electrode material for batteries, preferably se-lected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, preferably lith-ium-ion batteries, or for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnace reactions, more preferably electric arcpyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction ofcarbon dioxide containing gases comprising the steps:a) pyrolyzingi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shred-der-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) and at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane,butane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane;whereby pyrolytic carbon in form of primary particles is obtained;b) optionally further processing the pyrolytic carbon in form of primary particles obtained in step a), preferably byone or more of the following processing steps graphitization, purification, activation, chemical modification,carbonization, densification or surface coating;c) mixing the pyrolytic carbon obtained in step a) or optionally obtained in step b) – in the case of batteries – withcarbon black, carbon nano tubes (CNT) or mixtures thereof, and – in the case of arc pyrolysis – with graphite,anthracite coal, coke or mixtures thereof. Suitable and preferred electrode materials, pyrolysis conditions, plastic waste, hydrocarbons, further purifying andprocessing steps for the pyrolytic carbon form of primary particles, binders, additives, active materials and conductivematerials are mentioned above.Preferably, the pyrolytic carbon obtained in step a) or optionally obtained in step b) is mixed with carbon black, car-bon nano tubes (CNT) or a combination thereof, preferably prior to mixing step c) or in mixing step c). The present invention further relates to the use of pyrolytic carbon obtained by pyrolysis ofi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) and at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, bu-tane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane;in an electrode material for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead- acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, more preferably lithium-ion batteries, or for electric arc reac-tions, preferably electric arc furnace reactions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation ofethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide contain- ing gases. Suitable and preferred electrode materials, pyrolysis conditions, plastic waste, hydrocarbons, further purifying and processing steps for the pyrolytic carbon form of primary particles are mentioned above.

Claims

Claims1. Electrode material for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acid bat-teries and nickel-cadmium batteries, or for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnace reactions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases, comprising pyrolytic carbon, wherein the pyrolytic carbon is obtained by pyrolysis of i) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shred-der-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) with at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, pro-pane, butane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane.

2. The electrode material according to claim 1, wherein the pyrolytic carbon is obtained by pyrolysis in fixed,moving or fluidized bed reactors.

3. The electrode material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pyrolytic carbon comprises or consists of pyro-lytic carbon directly obtained from pyrolysis as primary particles in form of granular carbon, carbon black or carbon powder.

4. The electrode material according to claim 3, wherein the pyrolytic carbon directly obtained from pyrolysis asprimary particles has at least one of the following properties: -a BET surface area of 40 to 150 m2g-1;- a carbon content of at least 80 wt%, preferably 85 wt% to 100 wt%, more preferably 86 wt% to 98 wt%;most preferably 90 wt% to 97 wt%; -a particle diameter D50 of at least 0.5 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 4 mm;- a density of 1.8 to 2.2 g / cm3.

5. The electrode material according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the pyrolytic carbon comprises or consists of pyro-lytic carbon, wherein the primary particles are further processed, preferably by one or more of the following processing steps: Graphitization, purification, activation, chemical modification, carbonization, densification orsurface coating.

6. The electrode material according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for batteries comprising the following compo-nents: a) at least one active material;b) at least one conductive material;c) at least one binder; andd) optionally at least one current collector,wherein the active material and / or the conductive carbon comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon ob- tained according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Battery, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cad-mium batteries comprising an electrode material comprising at least one conductive material, at least one binder and at least one active material, wherein the conductive material and / or the active material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The battery according to claim 7, wherein the conductive carbon comprises the pyrolytic carbon according toany one of claims 1 to 5 and in addition to the pyrolytic carbon carbon black, carbon nano tubes (CNT) or a combination thereof.

9. A conductive composition for an electrode material for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries,alkaline batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries, more preferably a lithium-ion battery, comprising at least one conductive material, wherein the conductive carbon comprises or consists of the pyro- lytic carbon as obtained according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. Electrode material for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnace reactions, more preferably electricarc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases, comprising a) at least one carbon material,b) optionally graphite, anthracite coal, coke or mixtures thereof, andc) optionally a binder,wherein the carbon material comprises or consists of the pyrolytic carbon as obtained according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

11. A process for preparing an electrode material for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alka-line batteries, lead-acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries or for arc pyrolysis, preferably electric arc fur- nace reactions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the preparation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases comprising the steps: a) pyrolyzingi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shredder-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) and at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane,propane, butane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane;whereby pyrolytic carbon in form of primary particles is obtained; b) optionally further processing the pyrolytic carbon in form of primary particles obtained in step a), prefer-ably by one or more of the following processing steps graphitization, purification, activation, chemicalmodification, carbonization, densification or surface coating;c) mixing the pyrolytic carbon obtained in step a) or optionally obtained in step b) – in the case of batter-ies – with carbon black, carbon nano tubes (CNT) or mixtures thereof, and – in the case of arc pyroly-sis – with graphite, anthracite coal, coke or mixtures thereof.

12. Use of pyrolytic carbon obtained by pyrolysis ofi) plastic waste, preferably end-of-life tires (ELT) waste, mixed plastic waste (MPW), automotive-shred-der-residue (ASR), plastic solid waste (PSW), present in municipal solid waste (MSW), electronic waste (E-waste) or mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, orii) mixtures of i) and at least one kind of hydrocarbons, preferably natural gas, methane, ethane, propane,butane, pentane or mixtures thereof, more preferably natural gas or methane;in an electrode material for batteries, preferably selected from lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, lead- acid batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries or for electric arc reactions, preferably electric arc furnace reac- tions, more preferably electric arc pyrolysis for the preparation of ethyne or plasma arc reaction for the prepa- ration of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon dioxide containing gases.

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