Cabot Corporation Launches New PROPEL® E8 Engineered Reinforcing Carbon Black for Tire Tread Applications

Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) today announced the global launch of its new PROPEL® E8 engineered reinforcing carbon black designed to provide superior tread durability at low rolling resistance for high-performance tire tread applications. This new product addresses the unique challenges posed by the heavier weight and higher torque of electric vehicles (EVs) compared to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The PROPEL E8 grade complements Cabot’s existing solutions within the PROPEL E series, which are also suitable for use in high-performance tires.

As the global mobility landscape shifts to electric, the demand for more robust and efficient tires has become evident. Automotive tire manufacturers are looking for innovative solutions that improve the efficiency of EV tires and enable a longer lifespan. The increased weight and higher torque of EVs have shown to increase tire wear by up to 30%* in comparison to its ICE counterparts. As such, this is generating a rise in end-of-life tires (EOLTs) over the lifespan of an EV as well as higher total cost of ownership. Cabot’s PROPEL E8 solution is designed to address such challenges by delivering low rolling resistance with increased tread durability to improve the tire lifespan, maximize range and reduce overall tire waste.

The treads of EV tires require a performance balance difficult to meet with traditional, high surface area ASTM carbon blacks. The PROPEL E8 solution enables better rolling resistance when compared to ASTM N200 and N100 carbon black grades. It also provides high stiffness and modulus with abrasion resistance equal to ASTM N100 series carbon black.

“At Cabot, we recognize the critical role we have in the rapidly changing mobility landscape and how our product portfolio connects to the needs of the EV industry,” said Aatif Misbah, vice president and general manager, Sustainable Solutions, Reinforcement Materials segment. “Our PROPEL E portfolio, including our new PROPEL E8 solution, makes us well positioned to support EV tire manufacturers with their various formulation needs as the electrification of vehicle fleets continues to progress at a global scale. Not only do our PROPEL E solutions deliver performance benefits, but by extending tire lifespan, our products are helping to reduce waste and the need for frequent tire replacements, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future.”

The PROPEL E8 grade complements the other solutions in its PROPEL E portfolio including grades PROPEL E3, PROPEL E6 and PROPEL E7, which can also deliver performance and sustainability benefits for various high-performance tire formulations. Cabot’s PROPEL E series is comprised of high surface area, medium structure reinforcing carbon blacks specifically engineered to increase the overall sustainability of the tire value chain, enabling tread formulators to deliver tires with low rolling resistance for maximum range while enhancing tread durability to extend tire life span, resulting in fewer EOLTs. In addition, PROPEL E3 carbon black considerably reduces hysteresis enabling low rolling resistance, which is a critical design consideration for EV tires to maximize range.

For more information about Cabot’s comprehensive suite of products for EV tires and high-performance tire tread applications, visit cabotcorp.com/tire. Furthermore, you can learn more by visiting the Cabot booth #C310 at Tire Technology Expo from March 19-21, 2024, in Deutsche Messe, Hannover, Germany.

ABOUT CABOT CORPORATION

Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is a leading provider of reinforcing carbons, specialty carbons, battery materials, engineered elastomer composites, inkjet colorants, masterbatches and conductive compounds, fumed metal oxides and aerogel. For more information on Cabot, please visit the company’s website at cabotcorp.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in the press release regarding Cabot's business that are not historical facts are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.

*Source: PCMag: The Unexpected Problem With EVs: They 'Tire' Quickly

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