Analysis of carbon black sub-products, domestic and international market conditions, competitive landscape, and development drivers

Carbon black is a form of elemental carbon existing in an amorphous, nanoscale particle form, produced via incomplete combustion or thermal decomposition of organic materials (e.g., natural gas, heavy oil, fuel oil) under oxygen-deficient conditions. It is the earliest developed and most widely applied nanomaterial—and currently the highest-volume nanomaterial—globally, and is listed by the international chemical industry among the 25 fundamental chemical and fine chemical products. Carbon black exhibits excellent reinforcing, coloring, conductive/antistatic, and ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing properties. As a functional material, it imparts unique performance characteristics to other materials or finished products, playing an irreplaceable role across numerous applications. By primary application, carbon black is categorized into rubber-grade carbon black, conductive carbon black, and pigment carbon black, as follows: (1) Rubber-Grade Carbon Black Carbon black serves as a reinforcing and filler agent in rubber production, enhancing physical properties such as tensile strength and abrasion resistance; it is thus an indispensable raw material in rubber processing. In tire manufacturing, rubber-grade carbon black is classified—based on its performance when compounded into tire tread compounds—into hard carbon black and soft carbon black. Hard carbon black offers superior reinforcement: it forms effective chemical bonds with rubber molecules, significantly improving the strength, tear resistance, and wear resistance of tread compounds. It is predominantly used in tire treads. Per ASTM classification, the N100 series (e.g., N134), N200 series (e.g., N220, N234), and N300 series (e.g., N326, N375, N339, N330) are designated as hard carbon blacks. Soft carbon black provides comparatively weaker reinforcement but markedly improves compound viscoelasticity and flex fatigue resistance while serving as a filler; it is mainly used in tire sidewalls and inner tubes. Per ASTM classification, the N500 series (e.g., N539, N550), N600 series (e.g., N650, N660), and N700 series (e.g., N762, N774) are classified as soft carbon blacks. (2) Conductive Carbon Black Conductive carbon black is a high-performance grade capable of enhancing mechanical properties—including strength and toughness—of composite materials. Its resistivity is substantially lower than that of conventional carbon black. When incorporated into insulating polymers (e.g., plastics, rubber), it forms a conductive network, dramatically reducing the volume resistivity of otherwise insulating materials and thereby endowing final products with conductivity or antistatic functionality. Applications include shielding materials for power cables and raw materials for dry-cell batteries. Key end-use sectors encompass aerospace and defense, new-energy vehicles (e.g., electric vehicles), wireless communications, and consumer electronics. Currently, the company’s conductive carbon black is primarily employed in power cable shielding materials. (3) Pigment Carbon Black Pigment carbon black functions as a black colorant (pigment) in inks, paints, coatings, and plastics. It generally provides good coloration for plastics; selection among pigment carbon black grades depends on required coloristic attributes or physicochemical properties—particularly the target blackness level of the final product. Primary applications center on ink and pigment industries. 2. Global Carbon Black Industry: Market Conditions, Competitive Landscape, and Development Trends Approximately 90% of carbon black output is consumed in rubber product manufacturing, chiefly in tires. The global carbon black industry has evolved in tandem with the automotive and tire industries. Global carbon black demand is therefore largely driven by demand for tires and rubber, which in turn hinges on automobile demand.

Carbon black POM ES-5

POM ES-5 Carbon Black — Conductive Polyoxymethylene (POM) Engineering Plastic Physical Properties Value/Unit Test Standard Test Conditions Density 1.41 g/cm³ ISO 1183 Melt Volume Rate (MVR) 190°C / 2.16 kg 8 cm³/10 min ISO 1133 Melt Flow Rate (MFR) 190°C / 2.16 kg 9 g/10 min ISO 1133 Shrinkage Flow Direction (Longitudinal) 2 % ISO 294-4 60 × 60 × 2 mm thickness Across Flow Direction (Transverse) 2 % ISO 294-4 60 × 60 × 2 mm thickness Water Absorption 1.3 % ISO 62 23°C, 24 hrs, 1 mm thickness Mechanical Properties Value/Unit Test Standard Test Conditions Tensile Strength — 49 MPa ISO 527-1/-2 Elongation at Break Break 7.5 % ISO 527-1/-2 Flexural Strength — 84 MPa ISO 178 Flexural Modulus 2600 MPa ISO 178 Tensile Modulus 2850 MPa ISO 527-1/-2 Coefficient of Friction 0.47 — JIS K 7218 Thrust test vs. carbon steel; pressure: 0.98 MPa; speed: 30 cm/s Coefficient of Friction 0.43 — JIS K 7218 Thrust test vs. M90-44; pressure: 0.06 MPa; speed: 15 cm/s Wear Factor 0.8 × 10⁻³ mm³/(N·km) JIS K 7218 Thrust test vs. carbon steel; material side; pressure: 0.98 MPa; speed: 30 cm/s Wear Factor 0.01 × 10⁻³ mm³/(N·km) JIS K 7218 Thrust test vs. carbon steel; steel side; pressure: 0.98 MPa; speed: 30 cm/s

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Orion S.A. launched PRINTEX chroma 450 BEADS, a new carbon black product for engineered plastics featuring EU food-contact approval. Manufactured in Germany, it expands their chroma series to meet demanding application needs.

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