Cabot Corporation, a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company based in Massachusetts in the US, is expanding its capabilities elastomer composites in order to support a new set of tyre and industrial rubber customers.
The company announced a strategic investment to expand its manufacturing capabilities at its plant in Port Dickson, Malaysia, and to create a dedicated elastomer composites team. The dedicated team is responsible for developing new products and driving continued growth of this product line, with a focus on off-the-road tyre, rubber track and mining applications.
Cabot’s elastomer composites are a unique class of materials made primarily of natural rubber and reinforcing materials such as carbon black. The products are produced in a proprietary and patented mixing process that enables a superior level of carbon black dispersion and creates materials that are structurally different from compounds produced by conventional methods.
When mixed with curing agents, molded or extruded and then vulcanized, Cabot’s elastomer composites transform performance through dramatic improvements to rubber properties that are critical for off-the-road applications such as energy loss (hysteresis) and resistance to abrasion, cutting or chipping. Cabot’s elastomer composites, for example, have been shown to double the fatigue life of rubber parts.
Cabot President and Chief Executive Officer Sean Keohane commented, “For nearly 10 years we have been developing our elastomer composites business and making elastomer composites at our plant in Malaysia under an exclusive customer agreement. I am excited to see us transition to the next phase of growth. This investment strengthens our capabilities as we expand this high-performance product line to support a new set of customers.”
Bart Kalkstein, Senior Vice President and President of Cabot’s Reinforcement Materials business segment, said, “I am pleased to announce the appointment of David Reynolds to the role of General Manager, Elastomer Composites. David and his dedicated team are focused on enabling our partners to advance the performance of their off-the-road tyres and tracks and to create value for operators of commercial vehicles and equipment.”
Reynolds added, “Off-the-road tyres and rubber tracks are used in many applications where their performance determines the overall productivity of high value assets. For example, longer lasting aircraft tyres can enable increased utilisation of commercial aircraft, and rubber tracks with lower operating temperatures can enable faster operation of heavy industrial or agricultural equipment. Our elastomer composites have been proven to both lower the operating temperatures and extend the life of off-the-road tyres, and I am pleased to see the progress we are making with a select set of partners.”