Cabot Corporation has announced that it will raise the prices of all its carbon black products sold in North America through its reinforcement materials division. This price increase is set to take effect for shipments starting on or after October 1, 2023, or as per the terms of customer contracts. The price adjustment will vary between 6 percent and 9 percent, depending on the specific product and packaging type.

The primary reason for this price increase is to address the mounting costs resulting from ongoing inflation that has impacted the company’s manufacturing operations. These costs include higher expenses related to operations and maintenance, which are crucial to ensuring that Cabot can maintain a consistent and dependable supply of carbon black for its customers. Additionally, the price adjustment aims to cover the extra expenses tied to Cabot’sCabot’s efforts to enhance sustainability goals for both the company and its customers.

Cabot is actively investing in projects to meet governmental requirements for controlling air emissions from its carbon black manufacturing plants in North America. The construction and implementation of these complex and sizeable systems significantly raise the costs and intricacies of Cabot’s manufacturing operations.

Furthermore, Cabot is making substantial investments in developing new products and processes that align with customers' demands for higher sustainable material content and reduced CO2 emissions. These initiatives encompass a range of development projects that support Cabot’s EVOLVE Sustainable Solutions technology platform, designed to advance sustainable reinforcing carbons.

Specialty material solutions provider Trinseo has announced that it has established a tool that provides cradle-to-gate Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data.

The tool features nearly 6,000 Trinseo products, which can be accessed by customers to know the exact carbon footprint associated with a particular product.

On the other hand, LCA assess the environmental impacts of a product beyond PCF, including the use of resource, human health, ecological impacts, and more. This data the company said is crucial for understanding the environmental impact of products, allowing effective material comparison, enhancing R&D innovations, and ultimately contributing to a customer’s sustainability goals.

The Trinseo’s PCF and LCA tool follow the TfS guidelines and the latest European Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology and are compliant with the GHG Protocol and ISO standards 14040, 14044, and 14067.

Longxing Chemical Stock has announced plans to acquire 100 percent of China Rubber (Chongqing) Carbon Black from CSRC (Singapore), according to a filing with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

The target company is a key producer of carbon black, a vital material used in the manufacture of automobile tyres and other rubber products.

Longxing Chemical initially proposed purchasing a 55 percent stake in the company, with its actual controller, Liu Jiangshan, set to acquire the remaining 45 percent. However, the plan has been revised, and Liu Jiangshan will no longer participate in the acquisition.

The updated proposal is still in the planning stage, with specific terms and conditions yet to be finalised. Further details are expected as the process progresses.

PPG has formally announced the completion of the sale transaction of its silicas products business for USD 310 million (approximately) in pre-tax proceeds to Qemetica, a leading manufacturer of soda ash, silicates and other speciality chemicals.

The deal covers PPG’s precipitated silicas manufacturing plants in Lake Charles, Louisiana and Delfzijl, The Netherlands. Additionally, Qemetica will lease silicas production and R&D activities from PPG in Barberton, Ohio and Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

Tim Knavish, Chairman and CEO, PPG, said, “We are pleased to complete this transaction with Qemetica, and I want to thank the silicas products business employees for their dedication and commitment to the business and to PPG customers throughout the years.”

Kraton Corporation, a leading global sustainable producer of speciality polymers and high-value bio-based products derived from pine wood pulping co-products, has increased the price of its SIS polymer products by USD 330 per MT.

The company said the price hike was due to continued increase in raw materials and process chemicals.

The price hike will be global and comes into effect from 1 January 2025.