PORT DICKSON, Malaysia—For Cabot Corp., innovation isn't just about extending the life and durability of some of the world's toughest off-the-road and mining tires. It's about unlocking their greatest sustainable potential.
And this is where the company's Engineered Elastomer Composites (E2C), launched in March 2020, come into play. Built on the foundation of a proprietary mixing process for carbon black and natural rubber, Cabot's E2C pre-mixed composite solutions are intended to help OTR tire makers sustainably and economically improve tire performance.
"E2C combines state-of-the-art reinforcing fillers with high quality elastomers through Cabot's proprietary mixing processes to create made-for-purpose solutions for demanding rubber applications," David Reynolds, vice president and general manager of Cabot elastomer composites, said in an email interview. "E2C solutions are Cabot's newest product line, and were developed to provide rubber product manufacturers with solutions that can accelerate product differentiation, drive sustainability improvements and unlock operational efficiencies."
For more than three decades, Cabot's facility in Port Dickson has been at the heart of the company's proprietary carbon black-natural rubber mixing process. Now it's a critical part of the company's E2C development, and that doesn't look to be changing any time soon, thanks to a planned investment by Cabot.
The Boston-based carbon black manufacturer recently confirmed plans to expand research and development capabilities at the facility, adding to its staff in the process.
A statement from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority notes that Cabot expects to increase employment at the facility by about 30 percent, while installing enhanced digital controls and automated systems.