Cabot and IFF Health to Develop Sustainable Reinforcing Additives for Rubber

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IFF Health and Biosciences, a leader in world-class bio-science and engineering, for the development and commercialization of sustainable reinforcing additives for rubber products. Under the terms of this MOU, Cabot and IFF will exclusively work together to accelerate the advancement of innovative solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the amount of renewable bio-based content in rubber products.

Over the last year, the two companies have been exploring the development of novel, highly sustainable rubber reinforcing additives based on the use of IFF’s Nuvolve™ engineered polysaccharide. Created by enzymatic polymerization of sustainable European sugar beets, Nuvolve™ engineered polysaccharide will be used as a rubber reinforcing material to be blended with Cabot’s reinforcing carbons. Under the terms of this new MOU, Cabot will lead the development and commercialization of this novel product as a complementary material to Cabot’s reinforcing carbons in rubber applications, leveraging the sustainability benefits of a renewable resourced material without compromising performance and safety.

“As a leading producer of reinforcing carbons and performance rubber composites, enabling sustainability through innovation and collaboration is core to our work. We are committed to investing in technologies that advance the sustainability and performance of our products and their use,” said Dr. Fred Rumpf, senior R&D director, Reinforcement Materials Segment, Cabot. “We are proud to collaborate with IFF to test and develop renewable bio-based additives as a complement to reinforcing carbons in rubber products for applications, including tires, belts, hoses, gaskets and automotive weatherstrips. This MOU aligns with our sustainability commitment and contributes to the transition to a lower carbon future.”

“We are thrilled to bring our enzymatic polymerization technology to Cabot which will provide new performance opportunities with a sustainable benefit in key markets where rubber reinforcing additives are used,” said Christian Lenges, venture director, IFF. “We look forward to entering the development and commercialization phase with Cabot, who will enable access to key markets for the new engineered polysaccharide materials and accelerate sustainable innovation for the future of rubber products.”

“This MOU demonstrates our commitment to invest in opportunities that respond to our customer demands for increasingly sustainable products,” said Bart Kalkstein, senior vice president and president, Reinforcement Materials Segment, Cabot. “We are excited about this partnership with IFF to develop new, high-performance reinforcement materials to help our customers with their sustainability objectives while also helping the planet by reducing emissions. Developing new, innovative materials and technologies are just one of the ways that we are helping in the transition to a future world with lower carbon emissions.”

Source: Cabot