BOSTON, Mass. (Jan. 30, 2009)—Cabot said it will close carbon black facilities in Stanlow, England, and Berre l'etang, France.
It also will mothball two further carbon black plants in Merak, Indonesia, and Sarnia, Canada, and it will delay the start-up of the rubber blacks capacity in Tianjin, China.
Cabot said a carbon black masterbatch unit for the plastics industry located in Dukinfield, England, also will close, as will the tantalum powder manufacturing operations at Boyertown, Pa., and a regional office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
European Rubber Journal, a sister publication of Rubber & Plastics News, lists the Berre l'etang plant as having capacity of about 110,000 metric tons per year, while the Stanlow unit has capacity for 90,000 metric tons annually. The Indonesian unit has capacity for about 40,000 metric tons per year.
Cabot CEO Patrick Prevost said a 29 percent drop in demand for carbon black was partially caused by destocking among the main customers in the tire industry. He said he believes demand will shift and eventually go back up to “more acceptable” levels.