What is carbon black?
Carbon black is a form of paracrystalline carbon powder, which has a high surface area-to-volume ratio that contributes to its electrically conductive properties. It is produced from the incomplete combustion of heavy petroleum substances such as FCC tar, coal tar, and ethylene cracking tar in a controlled environment. Typically, carbon black contains more than 95% pure carbon with minimal quantities of oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. It is predominantly used as a reinforcing filler in tires and other rubber products. It is also extensively used in plastics, paints, and inks as a color pigment. The size of the spherical particles of carbon black has a direct impact on its blackness and dispersibility. The smaller the size of the particle, higher the blackness of the particle.
According to SpendEdge’s latest carbon black procurement market intelligence report, the rise in automobile sales will significantly contribute to the growth in this market. Furthermore, with the sales in the paints and coatings segment beefing up, we can expect a consequent spike in the black carbon market.
To gain a more detailed understanding of carbon black uses and manufacturing
Top manufacturers of carbon black
Cabot
Cabot Corporation is a leading performance material and specialty chemicals manufacturer, this is one of the top carbon black manufacturers. Cabot is headquartered in Massachusetts, USA. The company delivers a broad range of products and solutions including transportation, infrastructure, environment, and consumer. The carbon black manufactured by Cabot is known to provide color, conductivity, and ultraviolet (UV) protection for specialty applications such as coatings, plastics, toners, and printing inks. Cabot is the world’s largest producer of carbon blacks and offers specialty product lines such as BLACK PEARLS, ELFTEX, VULCAN, MOGUL, MONARCH, EMPEROR, and REGAL carbon blacks.
Birla Corporation
Birla Corporation is an Indian-based flagship company of the M P Birla group of companies that was founded in the year 1919. The company is one of the world’s leading sustainable carbon black manufacturers and supplier of carbon black additives. Birla Corporation’s patented carbon blacks have been designed to improve treadwear and rolling resistance while maintaining traction. They are also known to lower the hysteresis of non-tread compounds.
Orion Engineered Carbons
Orion Engineered Carbons is headquartered in Luxembourg and is one of the leading suppliers of carbon black. With more than 100 years of industry experience, the company offers standard and high-performance products for coatings, printing inks, polymers, rubber, and other applications. With 1.460 employees worldwide, Orion Engineered Carbons runs 14 global production sites and four Applied Technology Centers, focusing on quality supply and collaborative partnerships with customers.
Tokai
Tokai carbon was founded in the year 1918 and is headquartered in Japan. The company has dedicated to developing Carbon products that are indispensable to various industries for more than a century. The company’s primary operations include manufacture and sale of carbon black, graphite electrodes, fine carbon, friction materials, industrial furnaces, and related products.
Who is the largest consumer of carbon black?
The largest consumer of carbon black is the tire industry. Carbon black is a highly versatile and widely used material in the manufacturing of tires. It is added to rubber compounds to enhance the strength, durability, and performance of tires. Carbon black helps improve the wear resistance, traction, and overall longevity of tires, making them suitable for various road conditions and vehicle types. Apart from the tire industry, carbon black is also utilized in the production of other rubber products, plastics, inks, coatings, and various industrial applications.
In addition to the tire industry, carbon black is also extensively used in the manufacturing of other rubber products. This includes items such as conveyor belts, hoses, gaskets, seals, and automotive parts. The unique properties of carbon black, such as its high tensile strength and abrasion resistance, make it an ideal additive for enhancing the performance and durability of rubber-based products.
Furthermore, carbon black finds applications in the production of plastics. It is commonly used as a pigment and reinforcing agent in plastic products, such as pipes, cables, films, and packaging materials. The addition of carbon black improves the strength, UV resistance, and color stability of plastics, making them more suitable for various industrial and consumer applications.
SpendEdge’s carbon black procurement market intelligence report offers comprehensive insights into the carbon black market and recommends a set of procurement and sustainability best practices. Request a sample to gain more insights:
