Bio-refinery technology firm American Process Inc (API) and Aditya Birla Group’s Birla Carbon have signed a joint development agreement to further explore the technical and business potential of combining carbon black and nanocellulose to improve the performance and sustainability profile of tyres.

Nanocellulose is a versatile high-strength, lightweight renewable biomaterial that Thomson Reuters named as one of the top 10 technologies that will change the world by 2025. API has been granted seven patents and has over 100 patents pending in the nanocellulose field. API estimates the near-term global market size for nanocellulose to be 3.7 million tons per year. 

Initial evaluations suggest synergies between the companies’ Birla Carbon and BioPlus nanocellulose products to significantly lower the rolling resistance of tyres. Research indicates that up to 20 percent of a vehicle’s fuel efficiency is impacted by the rolling resistance of tyres. Increased commercialisation of low rolling resistance tread material is a key technology development focus area identified in Birla Carbon’s 2016 Sustainability Report. 

Over 70 percent of the world’s carbon black is consumed by the tyre industry, with carbon black constituting 25 percent of the tyre weight. Within the tyre industry, there are ever-increasing demands to improve rolling resistance, traction and fuel economy while maintaining tyre safety and affordability. In addition, with growing populations, economies, and mobility throughout the world, the industry must ensure that technology developments are sustainable and environmentally friendly.  

Leveraging synergies

Charles Herd, PhD, Director of Birla Carbon’s Rubber Black Technology, comments, “Low rolling resistance has been and has become an ever increasing area of investment and technological development for tyre manufacturers in all aspects of tyre technology including design, construction and materials. The synergies between carbon black and nanocellulose offer an exciting opportunity to meet the performance and environmental demands placed on us as a responsible manufacturing entity in a global society."  

According to Theodora Retsina, PhD, CEO of American Process Inc., “In addition to its exceptional sustainability profile, nanocellulose offers tremendous performance improvements for a variety of materials applications including rubber. With strength equivalent to carbon fiber, nanocellulose can improve the strength, durability, and toughness of composites. It also shows unique synergistic effects with other filler materials like carbon black in improving composite performance.”  

According to Kim Nelson, PhD, API’s VP of Nanocellulose, “This partnership has many synergies including Birla Carbon’s technical expertise, rigorous and disciplined development program, and world-class research facility in Marietta, Georgia. Our ability to offer large-scale quantities of a variety of nanocellulose products with various particle sizes and surface chemistries also enhances the development process.” 

Birla Carbon, which is one of the world's largest manufacturers and suppliers of high quality carbon black and a flagship business of the Aditya Birla Group, has a presence in 12 countries with 16 manufacturing facilities. It has two state-of-the art technology centres at Marietta (USA) and Taloja (India), besides well-equipped laboratories across its manufacturing units.