Carbon nanotube technology is certainly one of those things, in part because of the markets it has the greatest impact on—energy, transportation and electronics. For Birla Carbon —and the carbon black industry overall—some of those greatest growth opportunities lie where those end markets converge, in EVs.
The tires that carry them and the batteries that drive them.
And it just so happens the vehicles' batteries need a boost, especially with expanding production endeavors. And as battery and cell manufacturers establish their footprints in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond, they're looking to tap into local supply chains.
They're supply chains that Birla Carbon is eager to help define.
"When you think of new materials going into energy systems—lithium-ion batteries particularly—pretty much every jurisdiction in the world is focused on developing local supply of manufacturing capabilities of the cells and vehicles, but also for the materials that go into those cells," Loudermilk said. "So we see needing a global footprint and leveraging that global footprint to provide those materials as well on a global scale."
Given that Birla Carbon has a generous global footprint of its own—17 facilities across 13 countries—Loudermilk believes the company is positioned to innovate and scale quickly to meet the dynamic needs of its battery customers.
"I think it is fair to say that we see Europe, North America and India where we are uniquely positioned to leverage both our footprint, our technology capabilities and our customer relationships to maximize (impact)," he said. "These are places where the material manufacturing doesn't exist today to support the growth of those industries. I think we are aiming to invest in a way that allows that to flourish."
It is fortuitous then, that those areas where Birla Carbon has its strongest presence—Europe, North America and India—also happen to be the geographies where the lithium-ion battery market is most likely to see significant growth.
"If you were to say, 'five years from now, where would our footprint to support energy systems be most evident?' I would describe North America, India and Europe as the most likely places," Loudermilk said. "But you will also see us participate in South Korea, China—the areas where the industry is large today. But this is where we see our largest growth opportunities geographically."
When it comes to tires, EVs demand more. With increased weight and torque, they require tires to carry heavier loads, last longer and help to extend range.
Carbon black, Loudermilk pointed out, plays a key role in addressing all those issues. And that makes Birla Carbon innovation critical.
"When we talk to customers, from an EV perspective, really those vehicles have high torque and high weight, and that creates stresses on the tires that are unique. And carbon black, in some ways, provides unique advantages to protect from a wear perspective to make sure you have got the right traction and can manage the stresses of the tire both in terms of friction on the road and the stresses on the tire—on the sidewall—to hold that weight.
"And that is the kind of requirements we are seeing from tire manufacturers beyond reducing rolling resistance, which is to reduce the energy required to move that tire and move that vehicle. Those are the characteristics that our customers are looking for to support their EV ambitions. And that has turned into post-codevelopment with some of our major customers to tailor products and allow them to fulfill those requirements."
As tire makers continue to push the envelope around EV tire performance, they are more and more often looking for the kind of suppliers that innovate right alongside them. And Birla Carbon, Loudermilk said, is that kind of carbon black company.
"In some cases, we are designing materials that have a different balance between wear and rolling resistance or a different balance of wear, rolling resistance and reducing the energy required for our customers to process," Loudermilk said. "So all of that comes into play when it comes to carbon black."