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Birla Carbon, one of the leading manufacturers of carbon black solutions globally, details the steps it is taking to achieve a greener world, including its aspiration of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050
With the growing need for sustainability, Birla Carbon’s circular thinking drives its approach to innovation. By focusing on its net zero strategy as a part of the Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE) strategy through People, Products, and Processes, Birla Carbon has made progress in delivering circular products at scale, paving the way for a greener future for the industry as a whole.
Through its range of Continua™ Sustainable Carbonaceous Material (SCM), Birla Carbon provides the industry with sustainable alternatives to traditional carbon blacks. A result of years of extensive research & development, Continua SCM is one of the first major milestones on the road to net zero. Backed by a robust supply chain, large-scale availability and an eye for detail, these high-quality, circular products are the perfect solution to help customers across the board come closer to achieving their sustainability goals and reducing their carbon footprint.
This Continua SCM product range offers customers beaded and powder sustainable solutions at large volumes and consistent quality. Continua SCM is gradually being recognised in the tyre, mechanical rubber goods, plastics and coatings industries.
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- Tyres: Continua 8000 SCM provides benefits that include reduced hysteresis and equivalent performance to N660. Moreover, the comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of Continua™ 8000 SCM allows quantifiable CO2 savings to be calculated.
- MRG: Apart from its quantified CO2 savings, Continua 8000 SCM also presents further advantages to customers due to its exceptional properties of low PAH content and low electrical conductivity that can replace white fillers, and reduced component weight, electrochemical degradation (ECD) resistance for automotive coolant hose applications, and excellent processability with low residue and long screen life.
- Plastics: Continua 8000 SCM is the sustainable solution for plastic customers seeking to produce fully sustainable and low PAH compounds while preserving the processability and performance of traditional masterbatch compounds. With low residue, Continua 8000 SCM has a good screen life that can improve productivity. The lower melt flow of Continua 8000 SCM enables faster processing for higher concentration masterbatches. Additionally, Continua 8000 SCM is pelletised for easy storage and conveying and is fully Global Automotive Declarable Substance List (GADSL) compliant, making it suitable for use in automotive applications.
- Coatings: Continua 8510P SCM in powder form provides sustainable coating developers with a carbon-negative black pigment to support the value chain in achieving their sustainability objectives. This powder Continua SCM is easy to disperse. Additionally, the full Life Cycle Assessment of Continua 8510P SCM enables quantifiable CO2 savings to be calculated and allows for the creation of fully sustainable coating solutions.
The circularity of carbon black
As a product, carbon black connects and brings value to many key areas and industries within our lives. Found within everyday items, such as our clothes and the ink on bank notes, it is also a critical element of the transportation sector. Carbon black increases the durability and safety of tyres on the road. It prevents leaks and provides UV protection for pipes that provide water used to irrigate crops. As an enabler, carbon black is a key component found within electrical wires, computers, and the technologies that make our lives easier.
Given the complex nature of finished articles containing carbon black, moving to an entirely closed-loop system may not be realistic. However, Birla Carbon considers the potential for a more circular approach across the life cycle of its products. Within manufacturing, guided by the business’ SOE strategy, circularity is built into its processes, from energy recovery to water harvesting and waste reduction.
Achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050
Net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is the goal that Birla Carbon strives to achieve. Keeping that in mind, in FY2022, the company began focusing on mapping technologies, engaging experts and establishing strong partnerships to implement its net zero strategy. The business invested in energy efficiency projects at its sites and remains net energy positive.
With continued research of bio-based feedstocks for carbon black production, Birla Carbon has expanded its investment in circular products like the Nanocellulose Dispersion Composite (NDC™) rubber masterbatch with GranBio Technologies.
In May 2023, the Birla Carbon plant in Italy received the ISCC PLUS certification. The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) applies to the bioeconomy and circular economy for various sectors. All kinds of biomass, waste and residues, non-biological renewables, and recycled carbon materials can be certified under ISCC PLUS. This globally recognised certification is another step in the direction of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Birla Carbon has also developed a Green Finance Framework that demonstrates best market practices and requirements in relation to international principles and has completed a comprehensive GHG inventory to assess all Scope 3 categories with undergoing third-party validation of its Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions.
This net zero goal is not only aspirational but also realistic. Owing to almost 160+ years in the carbon black business and decades of concentration on attaining and maintaining sustainability with a clear focus on the present and future, Birla Carbon will continue its commitment to developing new and sophisticated innovations to achieve its goal of building a green and sustainable community. This will ensure the survival of natural resources and minimal harm to the environment.
