Evolving Sustainably, Together – Birla Carbon releases its Seventh Sustainability Report

Evolving Sustainably, Together - Birla Carbon releases its Seventh Sustainability Report Report modelled on international standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Mumbai, India and Atlanta, USA, September 18, 2019 – Birla Carbon, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of carbon black, today released its [...]

Birla Carbon North America Specialty Blacks Price Change

Birla Carbon North America Specialty Blacks Price Change Mumbai, India and Marietta, USA – August 1, 2019 – Effective September 1, 2019, Birla Carbon will increase specialty carbon black prices in North America by 9%.  All shipments made on or after this date are subject to the price increase. This increase is [...]

Birla Carbon North America Price Index Change

Birla Carbon North America Price Index Change Mumbai, India and Marietta, USA – July 26, 2019 – Effective August 1, Birla Carbon will change all North America contract price formulas.   The long-used index up to this date, U.S. Gulf Coast High Sulfur Fuel Oil, will change to U.S. Gulf Coast 0.5% Sulfur [...]

Birla Carbon Announces Organizational Changes in Asia

Birla Carbon Announces Organizational Changes in Asia Mumbai, India and Atlanta, USA – April 25, 2019 - Birla Carbon today announces a regional realignment in Asia to increase focus on customers and markets along with the retirement of Mr. Shyam Rathi, President of South Asia & Middle East region. With the retirement [...]

Birla Carbon North America Price Change Announcement

Birla Carbon North America Price Change Announcement Mumbai, India and Marietta, USA - March 22, 2019 - Effective May 1, 2019, Birla Carbon will increase base prices for all carbon black markets in North America by $170/MT.  All shipments made on or after this date are subject to the price increase.  Adjustments [...]

Birla Carbon completes 25 years of operations in Hungary

Birla Carbon completes 25 years of operations in Hungary Mumbai, India and Tiszaújváros, Hungary, March 22, 2019: Birla Carbon, one of the world’s largest carbon black producers, completed 25 years of operations in Hungary on March 21, 2019. Birla Carbon commemorated the anniversary with a celebration at the plant in Northern Hungary. [...]

Birla Carbon to Launch New Raven® Product at 2019 European Coatings Show

Birla Carbon to Launch New Raven® Product at 2019 European Coatings Show Mumbai/India and Atlanta/USA – March 12, 2019 – Birla Carbon, a leading manufacturer and supplier of carbon black solutions, announced today that it will be adding a new product to their family of Raven® carbon black products. The new solution, [...]

Birla Carbon to participate at Tire Technology Expo 2019

Birla Carbon to participate at Tire Technology Expo 2019 Hannover, Germany, February 26, 2019: Birla Carbon, one of the world’s largest carbon black producers will participate at the Tire Technology Expo 2019 that will be held at Hannover, Germany from March 5–7, 2019. The Birla Carbon exhibition booth will be C218 in [...]

Frequently Asked Questions

Carbon black refers to engineered carbon nanoparticles that are fused together to form unique 3-dimensional aggregates. Carbon black, in its pure form, is a fine black powder. It is produced by partial burning and pyrolysis of oil residues or natural gas at high temperatures under controlled process conditions. Carbon black is different from charcoal. Carbon black has a complex particulate structure that is formed in a gas phase produced from fully pyrolyzed hydrocarbons at high temperatures. Charcoal is produced by the pyrolysis of wood or other carbonaceous materials at lower temperatures and is in bulk or milled powder form. Due to their structural and morphological differences, they have distinctly different performances.

Carbon black is usually made from hydrocarbon oils, e.g., refined coal tar or heavy petroleum oil, or natural gas. Hydrocarbons derived from recycled tires, and biomass, e.g., wood, etc., are gaining increasing attention as sustainable sources of feedstock.

Carbon black is a vital component in making many of the products we use every day strong, appealing, durable and safe. Some of these solutions include tires, automotive weatherstrip and belts, plastic parts, coatings, inks and sealants. For example, tires without reinforcing carbon black would not run over 100 miles. As a pigment, carbon black offers desired color strength for applications ranging from electronic enclosures to automotive coatings, and household appliances. Carbon black imparts UV durability to rubber and plastic goods to ensure their service life for a few decades. As an electrically conductive additive, carbon black renders insulative rubber and plastic materials antistatic, electrodissipative or conductive to provide safety and protection, and thereby reliability for mining, electronic packaging, and wire and cable applications, to name a few.

In principle, carbon black can be stored for many years in a dry, cool, and well-ventilated location.  According to ATM D 8043 Standard Guide for Carbon Black — Shelf Life, “the shelf life of carbon black is defined as indefinite when stored in a manner that protects it from liquid water or high humidity environments. The only two properties of carbon black known to change over time are moisture and Iodine number. The moisture content can change over the short-term (weeks or months), depending on the ambient humidity and the surface area of the carbon black. Iodine number can change over an extended period (years) due to a slow increase in the oxygen content on the surface of the carbon black.”   However, “the slight change in Iodine Number over an extended period does not affect actual surface area properties and in-rubber performance of the carbon black.”

Detailed guidelines may be found in carbon black’s safety datasheet (SDS) provided by the manufacturer or supplier, or in Carbon Black User’s Guide provided by ICBA (International Carbon Black Association).  Below are a few examples: 1) Avoid dust formation; do not breathe dust; provide appropriate local exhaust to minimize dust formation; do not use compressed air; 2) Take precautionary measures against static discharges; 3) Maintain safe work practices, including the elimination of potential ignition sources in proximity to carbon black dust, good housekeeping to minimize accumulation of dust, and appropriate exhaust ventilation design and maintenance to control airborne dust levels, etc.; 4) Handle in accordance with good industrial hygiene and safety practices.5) Use process enclosures and/or exhaust ventilation to keep airborne dust concentrations 6) Wear appropriate PPEs. e.g., respirators, masks, safety glasses or goggles, protective glove, and clothing, etc.     

The industry has made tremendous progress in recovering carbon black for re-usage.  One of the examples is to reclaim carbon black from post-consumer tires and reuse it for tires or other applications.  After years of extensive research and development, Birla Carbon has introduced ContinuaTM Sustainable Carbonaceous Material (SCM) to make circularity a reality.  Please visit https://www.birlacarbon.com/continua/ or contact a Birla Carbon representative for details.

The certificate of analysis (COA) provided by the manufacturer or supplier summarizes a carbon black product’s key properties, including iodine or nitrogen surface area, structure (OAN), cleanliness (sieve residue).  that the COA may be used as a starting point to assess if the product meets quality requirements.  Please contact a Birla Carbon representative for assistance. 

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