Cabot Corporation has announced a significant expansion of its manufacturing capabilities in North America, now producing circular reinforcing carbons through its EVOLVE Sustainable Solutions technology. This milestone elevates the company’s Ville Platte, Louisiana plant to the status of a key production site for these sustainable materials, alongside its existing facilities in Mauá, Brazil, and Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic. The production of these carbons relies on a certified mass balance approach, using tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO) sourced from end-of-life tyres, which is validated under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS framework.

This strategic move is a direct response to the ambitious goals of global tyre manufacturers, who are targeting 40 percent sustainable material content in their products by 2030. Cabot’s TPO-based circular reinforcing carbons are engineered to function as a drop-in replacement for traditional carbon black, enabling tyre makers to enhance the sustainable composition of their products without compromising performance or altering their manufacturing processes. By establishing production in Louisiana, Cabot is advancing its ‘make-in-region, sell-in-region’ strategy, which is designed to increase supply chain efficiency and significantly reduce transportation-related emissions for its North American customers.

To solidify the foundation for these offerings, Cabot has substantially grown its global network of ISCC PLUS certified sites, which now totals 14 facilities. This expanded certification encompasses 12 sites dedicated to its reinforcing carbons portfolio across Europe, the Americas and Asia, plus two additional masterbatch and compounding sites in Europe. This robust, globally distributed network ensures that Cabot can provide its customers with third-party certified, sustainable solutions that deliver consistent performance and verifiable traceability at an industrial scale.

Aatif Misbah, Vice President and General Manager, Sustainable Solutions, Reinforcement Materials segment, said, “As a leader and innovator in our industry, we are continuously enhancing our technology and manufacturing footprint to enable our customers to meet their sustainability objectives – now and into the future. With the expansion of our manufacturing footprint for circular reinforcing carbons under the recovered category of our EVOLVE Sustainable Solutions technology platform, we are well-positioned to continue to deliver scalable solutions that help drive progress towards a more sustainable world. As we advance in our own sustainability journey, we will continue to refine our efforts to ensure our offerings support the dynamic priorities of the industry.”

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has achieved a Platinum rating from EcoVadis for its 2025 performance, placing it among the top one percent of companies assessed worldwide. The prestigious recognition evaluates business practices across four key pillars: environmental impact, ethical standards, sustainable procurement and labour and human rights. EcoVadis is recognised as one of the largest independent providers of sustainability ratings for businesses globally.

Further demonstrating its commitment to responsible operations, Orion also retained a strong B score from CDP, an international non-profit that manages a leading system for tracking corporate environmental impact. The CDP score, announced in December 2025, acknowledges Orion’s advancements in reducing climate change effects through proficient emissions management. Additionally, the company received an upgraded A rating on CDP’s Supplier Engagement Assessment, highlighting its robust governance, established targets and proactive engagement with its value chain to address scope 3 emissions.

Corning Painter, CEO, Orion S.A., said, “Achieving a Platinum rating for 2025 capped another successful year for sustainability at Orion. Among many achievements, we launched bio-circular grades of carbon black, improved energy efficiency across our operations, expanded leadership training programmes and won an industry award for safety performance at our plants. EcoVadis raises its standards every year, so maintaining our Platinum rating will require a stronger performance in 2026. But I’m confident our colleagues across the world who worked so hard to earn Platinum in 2025 will rise to that challenge again, as Orion continues to make progress on longer-term strategic sustainability goals aimed at cost-effective grades.”

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Birla Carbon Spain has been awarded a EUR 2 million grant by the Society for Regional Development of Cantabria S.A. (SODERCAN), a public entity of the Government of Cantabria, to advance an energy autonomy initiative at its Cantabria plant. The funding announcement was made in late February during a visit attended by María José Sáenz de Buruaga, President of Cantabria; Eduardo Arasti, Minister of Industry, Employment, Innovation, and Trade of Cantabria and Ángel Pedraja, CEO of SODERCAN. The grant forms part of a broader investment project by Birla Carbon Spain aimed at strengthening energy self-sufficiency at the facility.

The funding will support the installation of a 4 MW back-pressure steam turbine at the Cantabria unit, enabling it to generate electricity and steam internally for operations. When completed, the project is expected to reduce CO2 emissions annually while also decreasing reliance on water from the Miera River for cooling purposes and reducing process water discharge. Beyond these environmental benefits, the investment will help safeguard nearly 200 direct and indirect jobs associated with the facility, reinforcing the company's commitment to both sustainability and regional economic stability.

During the visit, President María José Sáenz de Buruaga was briefed on the technical and environmental aspects of the project and described it as a collective success. She recognised Birla Carbon Spain's strategic role in the regional industrial ecosystem and its position as a benchmark for innovation in Europe. The initiative represents a significant step towards sustainable manufacturing practices while demonstrating the company's dedication to long-term operational viability and environmental stewardship in Cantabria.

Dale Clark, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Americas & EMEA, Birla Carbon, said, “We were honoured to welcome the President of Cantabria, the Minister of Employment, Innovation and Trade of Cantabria and the CEO of SODERCAN to our Cantabria plant. Their support reflects the strategic importance of our operations to the region and the industries we serve with our carbon black solutions. The steam turbine will be key in helping the plant achieve energy autonomy, reducing our carbon footprint and strengthening long-term operational resilience. At Birla Carbon, we also remain continuously focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing water consumption and advancing sustainable manufacturing practices across our global operations.”

María José Sáenz de Buruaga, President of Cantabria, said, “With this contribution, not only does Birla Carbon win, but Cantabria wins too, because we are making decisive progress in the transformation of our production model and in our commitment to industrialisation.”

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Flexsys, a global leader in advanced tyre additives and material-science solutions, has been honoured with the Chemical and Compounding Innovation of the Year Award at the Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence. This recognition celebrates the company’s progress in creating a novel alternative to 6PPD for tyre manufacturing.

Driven by a significant challenge within the tyre industry, Flexsys’s dedicated research and development team, alongside respected federal and independent laboratories, pursued the creation of a next-generation replacement for 6PPD. Their investigation spanned hundreds of molecules from various chemical families, ultimately identifying several promising candidates that satisfy the stringent criteria for both tyre efficacy and environmental safety. Extensive laboratory testing, conducted both internally and by external parties, has confirmed that one of these candidates delivers robust antidegradant qualities while presenting a favourable toxicological profile. Significantly, this effective molecule is not a PPD chemical. Currently, performance trials are in progress with selected industrial collaborators, with further information regarding the specific molecule anticipated later this year.

The award itself is determined by a completely autonomous international jury composed of journalists and industry specialists. It is coordinated by Tire Technology International magazine, a publication owned by UKi Media & Events, which also organises the renowned Tire Technology Expo.

Neil Smith, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, said, “We are honoured to receive this industry recognition for our work, which reflects our commitment to delivering solutions that meet demanding performance requirements while advancing environmental responsibility. I’m incredibly proud of the Flexsys R&D team whose dedication and scientific rigor has allowed us to achieve this recognition. We believe collaboration across the tyre and materials ecosystem is essential to developing durable, scalable solutions for the industry and look forward to continuing this journey together.”

Matt Ross, Editor-In-Chief, Tire Technology International magazine, said, “The Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence are recognised as the industry’s top accolades and aim to celebrate the best new technologies and innovations from all over the world. On behalf of all of the judges, we extend our congratulation to the Flexsys team on this win and their work to find a replacement for 6PPD in tyres.”

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Pyrum Innovations AG has announced an immediate update to the nomenclature of its recycled material outputs as part of a strategic effort to reinforce its brand identity and underscore the distinctiveness of its offerings. The company’s thermolysis oil, formerly referred to as recycled oil, will now be designated TTO (ThermoTireOil). Similarly, what was previously known as recovered Carbon Black (rCB) will adopt the new name TTB (ThermoTireBlack).

This decision stems from inconsistencies observed across the broader market for recycled commodities. Materials sold under generic labels such as rCB or pyrolysis oil often vary significantly in composition, largely because they may contain residual additives or lack standardisation. In the case of rCB, for instance, the presence of inorganic elements from tyres can lead to blends that are unsuitable for certain high-performance applications. Pyrum’s output, by contrast, is produced through its patented thermolysis technology, which yields materials with a consistent and well-defined makeup. The new names are intended to reflect this precision and set them apart from less uniform alternatives.

The underlying production process remains centred on breaking down end-of-life tyres into their constituent elements. TTB has already entered series manufacturing in the tyre industry and is gaining recognition for use in products such as conveyor belts, seals, and protective coatings. TTO, meanwhile, functions as a renewable input for polymers used in clothing, automotive components and food-safe packaging.

Rollout of the new terminology begins at once and will be phased into all technical records, official certifications and customer communications. Although the labelling is new, the formulations and quality levels of the products themselves are unchanged.

Pascal Klein, CEO, Pyrum Innovations AG, said, “Our products are the result of years of development and intensive research. With the new designations TTO and TTB for our oil and our rCB, we make it clear that these are unique materials obtained from our unique thermolysis process.”

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