Origin, Intertex partnership to bring wood-based carbon black to rubber manufacturers

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Sustainable carbon black company Origin Materials Inc. has announced a partnership with Intertex World Resources Inc., a distributor of synthetic rubber, carbon black, process oils and rubber chemicals.

Under an offtake agreement, Canton, Ohio-based Intertex is to purchase "carbon-negative" carbon black, made via Origin's patented technology, for supply to the rubber compounding and plastic masterbatch industries in North America.

In Origin's July 25 announcement, the West Sacramento materials company described its carbon black as a "versatile 100-percent bio-content filler and pigment produced from sustainable wood residues rather than petroleum."

The partnership, it stated, aims to produce carbon black for tires including N660, N550 and N762 specifications, as well as for belts, hoses, rubber seals and other mechanical rubber goods markets.

Origin added that it will work with Intertex to develop a carbon black for automotive seal customers requiring high performance fillers for rubber window seals.

"This collaboration is a significant step forward in our mission to enable the world's transition to sustainable materials," said Rich Riley, co-CEO of Origin Materials.

"We expect our sustainable carbon-negative carbon black to be deployed across a diverse array of applications to decarbonize the rubber and automotive supply chain," added Riley.

For Intertex, managing partner Greg Sibley said: "With our markets in tires, belts, hoses and other mechanical rubber goods, all of which are looking for sustainable raw materials, we believe this partnership will allow us to give our customers a decided market advantage."