Cabot committed to greener carbon black industry

BOSTON—Carbon black is getting greener. And when it comes to the environmental efforts that are changing the entire industry for the better, Cabot Corp. is determined to be a leading change agent with a net-zero emissions goal by 2050.

"The entire chemical industry will need to collaborate along this (sustainability) journey," Martin O'Neill, senior vice president of safety, health and environment and chief sustainability officer, told Rubber News. " … We cannot achieve this transition to net zero alone. Our path to reducing our footprint will be a continuous improvement journey that includes investments in technology, infrastructure and people."

And O'Neill believes Cabot is off to a pretty good start.

The company early this year earned its second consecutive platinum rating from EcoVadis, an independent sustainability ratings firm. The platinum rating, Cabot said, places it in the top 1 percent of companies manufacturing basic chemicals. That's a grouping that EcoVadis defines as including makers of chemicals, fertilizers and nitrogen compounds, plastics and synthetic rubber in primary forms.

To achieve the platinum rating, Cabot demonstrated sustainability performance that achieved benchmarks in four specific areas: environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

"Sustainability is at the heart of our purpose as a company, and is integral to everything that we do," Sean Keohane, Cabot president and CEO, said in a statement. "To once again be recognized by EcoVadis as an industry leader is a testament to our dedication and actions to advance all aspects of our sustainability agenda while bringing the power of innovative chemistry to our customers to help solve many of the sustainability challenges facing our world."

Among Cabot's chief sustainability aims is reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, mainly through improved waste heat recovery and the use of renewable energy in operations.

"We are also finding ways to advance circularity in our operations with the use of reclaimed carbon, recycled polymers and alternative feedstocks, and will look to adopt other technologies in our network of plants around the system," O'Neill said. "All of these efforts will reduce our emissions and overall environmental impact."

Cabot is determined to make sustainability strides beyond operations, focusing on products that contribute to reduced emissions during their lifetimes. This includes development of bio-based and morphology additives, expanding the possibilities for reclaimed carbon black, and continuing to adapt with innovations that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and use sustainable feedstocks.

"Our development activities in R&D are squarely focused on creating more sustainable solutions, which will bring additional value to our customers and help to drive our growth," O'Neill said. "On the material side, we have programs focused on bio-based and new morphology additives such as our recently announced collaboration with IFF Health & Biosciences. We are also working with the residual carbon reclaimed from the tire recycling process to help our customers create more direct circularity in their products."

One of those sustainable product offerings is the company's Engineered Elastomer Composites (E2C), which is heading to new places in the off-the-road tire arena.

Cabot said in February it had successfully integrated the E2C compounds in the manufacturing and operational use of retreads for the 35-inch and 63-inch-rim diameter tires in North and South America.

E2C pre-mixed composite solutions debuted in 2020 and were developed using Cabot's proprietary mixing process for carbon black and natural rubber. When used in retreads, Cabot said, the composites can extend the life of the retread by 30 percent, while at the same time reducing tire costs through improved productivity and reduced downtime.

"While most tire manufacturers mix tread compounds in-house, off-the-road retreaders often purchase fully formulated tread materials from compounding partners," said David Reynolds, vice president and general manager for Cabot Engineered Elastomer Composites. "We needed to show the advantages of our E2C solutions for both customer types in the value chain."

Because E2C are delivered in pre-mixed form, they reduce the number of steps required for mixing and allow rubber compounders to diversify offerings, Cabot said.

"Retreaders benefit by unlocking higher performance for their end customers, with a variety of solutions to suit the differing needs across mine types and geographies," Reynolds said of expanding E2C usages. "Of course, both compounders and retreaders benefit from the expansion of retreading into new applications and the subsequent growth of their respective businesses."

When it comes to sustainability, investments in operations and products are just two parts of the equation. Investments in people matter, too.

Cabot, which employs about 4,100 worldwide, said it is committed to supporting its employees with competitive benefits and professional development programs, while working to ensure that it builds a more diverse work force.

"We believe in the power of a diverse work force and are committed in a very real way to the next generation of technical talent as it will help us to diversify our work force and once again enable us to attract and retain the best talent," O'Neill said. "As such, we are proud to be an inaugural sponsor of the Future of STEM Scholars, or FOSSI, which is a chemical industry-led effort to support and attract talent from historically black colleges and universities."

Cabot also remains focused on improving the communities in which it has a presence, supporting causes and non-profits with volunteer honors and monetary donations. According to Cabot, 91 percent of its site locations participate in donations, and volunteer or support the Cabot Corp. Foundation's giving activities.

Cabot Corp. Foundation invests in community programs and initiatives to address educational, cultural, social, health and environmental needs. Most recently, the foundation donated $250,000 to charitable organizations offering aid and relief to the Ukrainian citizens and refugees.

"As a company that is guided by our values, we cannot ignore the human suffering unfolding in Ukraine and the impacts that are felt throughout the region," Keohane said. "The safety and the security of our colleagues and their families in and outside the region is our highest priority. We are deeply concerned by the ongoing escalation and stand with the innocent victims of this war and hope for a peaceful resolution as quickly as possible. Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine, their loved ones, and all of those affected."