Carbon Black Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The global carbon black market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Carbon black is a very fine powder that is mostly made up of carbon atoms. It is created by burning fuel in a way that does not allow the carbon to combine with the oxygen in the air completely. Tires, plastics, inks, coatings, and other products are some of the applications in which it is used. Carbon black makes materials stronger and last longer. It also helps them resist damage from the sun (ultraviolet light), can be used to make materials conduct electricity better, and gives them a black color.

Further, various factors influencing the market growth have been elaborated:  

• Tire designs use carbon black, which enhances grip, life, and performance because of its reinforcing properties and ability to provide abrasion resistance. The vehicle industry is expanding worldwide, significantly in emerging nations, due to growing use, which, in turn, is also driving the requirement for tires, confronting a rise in demand for rubber goods. Hence, this trend is instrumental in assisting the market growth of carbon black. United States Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) is the national trade group of U.S. tire producers. USTMA members operate 57 plants in 17 states, employ more than 291,000 people, and have an annual economic impact of USD 170.6 billion. 
• The rising construction industry also benefits the market because of its application in concrete and coatings. For instance, the UK construction sector was valued at US$386 billion in 2023, and it employed around 2.8 million people. Infrastructure is the UK's most resilient construction subsector. Its growth was further accelerated by 4.6 percent in 2023. The UK Government confirmed that it intends to spend GBP 99 billion on economic infrastructure from 2022-23 to 2024-25. The public funds nearly half the investment for infrastructure in the UK. In addition to this, technological advancements and spending on R&D are fueling innovation in applications of carbon black in the construction industry.  
• The carbon black market offers growth opportunities through increased demand for electric vehicle components, sustainable alternatives like bio-based carbon black, expanding construction in emerging economies, and growing utilization of batteries. In a big push to manufacture lithium-ion cells and rarer high-strength batteries on a large scale in the country, the government of India on May 12, 2021, approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme 'National Program on Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACC) Battery Storage'. It has a budget of Rs 18100 crores. The plan aims to build a total ACC battery production capacity of 50 GWh. Along with this, advancements in nanotechnology and specialty applications in electronics and conductive polymers also present lucrative prospects. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched many important programs to promote nanoelectronics research and innovation in India. Major Nanoelectronics Centres of International Standards have been created at the country's best institutes. These Centres' cutting-edge nanofabrication facilities have gained popularity both in India and throughout the world.

GLOBAL CARBON BLACK MARKET SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS:

Furnace Black Process is likely to be the fastest-growing process type during the forecast period

The furnace black process employs heavy aromatic oils as feedstock. The production furnace atomizes the feedstock oil under precisely regulated circumstances (mainly temperature and pressure). The main feedstock is delivered into a hot gas stream (created by burning a secondary feedstock, such as natural gas or oil), which vaporizes and then pyrolyzes in the vapor phase to make small carbon particles.

Moreover, it has a crucial role in increasing the sturdiness of tire and rubber-produced goods, especially as car makers are setting up production plants in underdeveloped countries owing to the upsurge in the automotive industry. Its use in plastic products, coatings, and inks fosters growth through increased production in buildings and packaging industries. Technological developments that increase manufacturing efficiency and quality are also important. Furthermore, stronger environmental restrictions encourage cleaner industrial processes, generating innovation and new market opportunities.

The growing application of carbon black in the automotive industry. 

As the automobile industry is expanding, so is the use of carbon black for various purposes. Carbon black is important in the automobile sector because it makes tires stronger and last longer. It is also used as an anti-wearing addendum in rubber parts such as hoses and seals. According to the PIB, in 2021-22, two-wheelers and passenger automobiles significantly impacted the Indian automobile industry, holding 77% and 18% market share, respectively. Small and medium vehicles account for the majority of passenger automobile sales. The number of autos exported also climbed from 4,134,047 in 2020-21 to 5,617,246 in 2021-22, a 35.9% rise.

Carbon black is further used to improve the processing, strength, and durability important for tire manufacturing and tire performance (including safety), increasing tire life and fuel economy. It shields the tires against UV rays while at the same time giving vehicle coating and painting a dark black exterior. Moreover, its usage is essential in battery electrodes and automotive electronics due to its conductivity. An independent study focusing on the aggregated revenues of a selected list of nanotechnology businesses found that nanotechnology's economic impact on the US economy in 2022 was between $67 billion and $83 billion, for a total of nearly a trillion dollars over the previous two decades. This dwarfs the US government's expenditure of around $40 billion over the same period, which corresponds to the country's priority of the industry under the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI).

Furthermore, Kemipex, a leading chemical supplier in Dubai, offers CARBIMAX, which is a high-quality, high-performance carbon black manufactured responsibly to satisfy the company’s clients' present and future needs. It is often utilized in various sectors, including industrial rubber, tires, plastic, textiles, toners, and printing inks.

The Asia Pacific region will dominate the carbon black market during the forecast period.

Dynamic factors, including increased industrialization, urbanization, and a growing automobile industry, drive the Asia-Pacific carbon black market. This has led to heightened demand for carbon black across various sectors as the economies of countries within the region expand rapidly, notably China and India. The motor vehicle industry, however, stands out most, especially with the increased production of cars and the manufacture of tires, which require carbon black as an essential component. The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) is one of the country's most active industrial national associations. ATMA has earned the authentic voice of the Indian tire industry by being a representative body of six of the largest tire companies, accounting for over 90% of production capacity.

Furthermore, the rising construction industry increases the need for carbon black products such as paints, sealants, and concrete. According to the Construction Association of Korea (CAK) and the Construction and Economy Research Institute of Korea (CERIK), the Korean construction sector is predicted to be worth $166 billion (KRW 207 trillion) in 2023, a 6.7% decrease from 2022. 

Higher investments also influence market growth in infrastructural projects coupled with technological advancements in manufacturing processes. For example, during the first quarter of 2024, China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported that value-added output from industries had increased by 6.1% compared to the previous year, while manufacturing production increased by 6.7%. Additionally, the high-tech manufacturing sector expanded at 7.5%, which was 2.6 percentage points higher than what had been recorded in Q4 2023. Besides this, the National Logistics Policy of India aims to develop integrated infrastructure for efficient service delivery and create an enabling environment characterized by simplified procedures and regulations under its Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan (CLAP). In conclusion, the region's emphasis on sustainable and high-performance materials provides new potential for carbon black uses.

Global Rubber Carbon Market Key Developments:

• In March 2024, Cabot Corporation announced the global introduction of its new PROPEL E8 tailored reinforcing carbon black, designed to deliver improved tread durability while minimizing rolling resistance for high-performance tire tread applications. 
• In February 2024, Marubeni Corporation agreed with RCB Nanotechnologies GmbH to purchase RCBNano shares through the financing of a third-party allocation of additional shares of RCBNano, based in Germany, which is currently building a factory to create next-generation recovered Carbon Black used in tires. 
• In February 2024, Nokian Tyres signed a long-term purchasing arrangement with a tire recycling joint venture. Nokian Tyres began using recovered carbon black in a commercial product line in 2022. The joint venture, which includes Antin Infrastructure Partners and Scandinavian Enviro Systems, intends to develop end-of-life tire recycling plants around Europe, with a total capacity to recycle up to one million tonnes of end-of-life tires annually by 2030. 
• In May 2023, Monolith, a global pioneer in commercial-scale carbon black and hydrogen synthesis via the methane pyrolysis method, announced the first of its products to be used in any tire. Goodyear, one of the world's largest tire companies, plans to use Monolith's carbon black in a new tread formulation for its ultra-high performance, all-season ElectricDrive™ GT passenger tire in size 235/40R19. This tire is ideal for vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3. 

The global carbon black market is segmented and analyzed as follows:

By Process Type

• Furnace Black
• Thermal Black
• Acetylene Black
• Others

By Grade

• Standard Grade
• Specialty Grade

By Application

• Tires and Industrial Rubber Products
• Plastic
• Toners and Printing Inks
• Coatings
• Textile Fiber
• Other Applications

By Geography

• North America
• South America
• Europe
• Middle East and Africa
• Asia-Pacific