Process and bio technologies to help Cabot meet zero-carbon goal 

Boston, Massachusetts – Cabot Corp. has stepped up its sustainability efforts with a pledge to become carbon-neutral by 2050 and a new initiative to develop and commercialise bio-based rubber-reinforcement additives.

The Boston-based carbon black maker has also invested in increasing process yields and recovering waste-heat from processes to reduce its environmental impact, said its 2 Dec statement.

To further the long-term goal and achieve the ambition of net zero by 2050, Cabot intends to increase 'circularity' across its product portfolio and improve transparency around climate-protection activities.

The carbon black maker will follow methodology established by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)* to set interim greenhouse gas reduction targets.  

Cabot said its interim ‘2025 sustainability goals’ included reducing greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 20% compared to the 2005 baseline. To date, the company has realised 77% of this goal. 

The day before this announcement, Cabot disclosed news of a new partnership with IFF Health and Biosciences – formerly DuPont’s nutrition and biosciences arm – to advance bio-based rubber reinforcement materials.

Under a memorandum of understanding, the partners will work to develop and commercialise applications for IFF’s Nuvolve engineered polysaccharide materials. 

Cabot and IFF have already been exploring the development of “highly sustainable rubber reinforcing additives” based on the bio-substance, which is made by enzymatic polymerisation of “sustainable European sugar beets." 

The engineered polysaccharide will be used as a rubber reinforcing material to be blended with Cabot's reinforcing carbons, with the US company citing potential applications in tires, belts, hoses, gaskets and automotive weatherstrip. 
 
The collaboration will ‘test and develop bio-based additives as a complement to reinforcing carbons in rubber products’, explained Dr Fred Rumpf, senior R&D director, reinforcement materials segment, Cabot. 

*SBTi is a joint initiative by the UN Global Compact, CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to encourage companies to set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction targets.