Origin Materials, a carbon-negative materials manufacturer, has produced carbon black blends that match or exceed the performance of traditional fossil-based carbon black for N660, a widely used performance specification for automotive tires and mechanical rubber goods.

Origin's study with Akron Rubber Development Laboratory revealed that blends of up to 10% of Origin's carbon black demonstrated comparable or better performance than fossil-based N660 carbon black while also achieving superior dispersion and tan delta. 

Origin’s patented technology transforms carbon from sustainable wood residues into useful materials while capturing carbon with no detectable levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). It produces carbon black by treating hydrothermal carbon (HTC) and can customize the performance criteria of its carbon black by controlling the process conditions and post-processing of its HTC. Origin's carbon black is also claimed to have a physically similar structure to fossil-based carbon black, but with an ability to manipulate surface chemistry and morphology, making it versatile and sustainable.

Analyst QuickTake: Origin Materials has been actively involved in developing and commercializing carbon black. The company previously collaborated with industry players such as Minafin (February 2022), Mitsubishi (April 2022), Intertex (July 2022), and ATC Plastics (July 2022) for the development of carbon-negative black for various applications such as bio-based chemicals, tire materials, rubber compounding, and plastic masterbatch.