Carbon black | materials
The greening of carbon black
The word “sustainability” is never far away in discus- sions about new developments with carbon black producers. And while it is not easy to make black a “green” product, suppliers are doing their very best with, for example, the introduction of measures to reduce levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and various other initiatives to improve energy efficiency during manufacturing. Established suppliers are responding to new regulations and increasing environ- mental consciousness among consumers and also to the rise, however modest at its current rate, of competi- tors producing carbon black from recycling of old tyres. At one major producer, Cabot, Global Market Segment Manager for Plastics George Haines cites a corporate effort to reduce its environmental impact through such measures as the reduction of NOX
and SO2
emissions by 10% and 15% respectively from the company’s 2012 baseline. “We also work to enable customers to meet their sustainability or regulatory targets such as REACH and food contact legislation,” he says. “For instance, we continue to expand our range of certified carbon blacks that allow customers to select from a broad range of carbon blacks that help them comply with the new REACH regulation requirement around skin contact.” Haines points to the recently promulgated European Regulation 1272/2013, which limits the content of eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the accessible plastic or rubber parts of certain articles placed on the EU market from 27 December 2015 onward (the PAHs in question are: benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[e]pyrene; benzo[b]fluoranthene; benzo[j] fluoranthene; benzo[k]fluoranthene; benzo[a]anthra-
www.compoundingworld.com
Whether through management of PAHs, reducing manufacturing energy content, or exploring alternative feedstocks, carbon black producers are focusing attention on cleaner and more sustainable products. Peter Mapleston finds out more
cene; chrysene; and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene). The regulation states: “Articles shall not be placed
on the market for supply to the general public, if any of their rubber or plastic components that come into direct as well as prolonged or short-term repetitive contact with the human skin or the oral cavity, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use, contain more than 1 mg/kg (1 ppm) of any of the [8] listed PAHs.” Such applications are known as Category 1 applications. The restriction for toys and childcare articles (Category 2) is even stricter, with a limitation of 0.5 mg/kg. According to Haines, Cabot has instituted a rigorous
testing program to ensure the products it certifies meet stringent PAH limits. He points to three Cabot speciality carbon black grades that comply with the EU regula- tions and also meet FDA standards, which are even tougher: Monarch 4750, Black Pearls 4350, and Black Pearls 4750. Cabot offers 18 more specialities that may be used to produce Category 1 and Category 2 articles
November 2016 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 25
Main image: Masterbatch
produced using carbon black recycled from
waste car tyres by Black Bear Carbon
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