Sabic, a global diversified chemicals company based in Saudi Arabia, has introduced a new market solution, carbon black grade N330, for the kingdom’s building and construction industry to improve the quality of cast-in-place concrete structures that require an early drying process and provide extra strength.
Carbon black is a form of elemental carbon that is manufactured by the controlled vapour-phase pyrolysis and partial combustion of hydrocarbons.
With the inherent advantage of feedstock availability, Sabic introduced five carbon black grades in ASTM 2 and 3 series (N220, N326, N330, N339 and N375) for the first time in GCC.
Premium concrete hollow blocks manufactured with concrete mix produced from Sabic material provide better strength, reduce setting time and improve appearance, said the company in a statement.
The solution showed a reduction in casting time by more than 40% and an increase in strength by 7%.
Sabic carbon black grade N330 provides superior performance when blended in specific proportion with concrete and mixed with other chemicals to suit the manufacturing of pre-cast building blocks that meets the requirement of high compressive strength as per the standards set by Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) and GCC Standardization Organization (GSO).
This new development has unlocked an opportunity to further improve Sabic carbon black offering to the industry, it stated.
Abdullah Shamroukh Al Otaibi, General Manager Engineering Thermoplastics (ETP) & Market Solutions, emphasized Sabic’s commitment to identify market needs and work closely with customers to offer new solutions and translate them into sustainable business opportunities.
Besides the newly-developed application, the material can be used for property enhancements in many end-products, said Sabic in its statement.
Successful commercial supplies to one of the major producers of concrete cement in Jeddah began in December last year.
Sabic said it will offer this solution to other potential customers in the region looking for improvement in products and processes.
The global chemical company began marketing carbon black in 2016 produced in the Jubail Petrochemical Company (Kemya) plant, a Sabic and ExxonMobil joint venture.
The plant has an installed capacity of 50000 MT. Manufacturing of high-quality hard carbon black grades is done under licence from Continental Carbon, headquartered in Houston, Texas, USA, which is recognized as a leader in the development and manufacturing of carbon blacks used in tire, rubber, and other specialty applications.
Sabic’s high reinforcing grades are used by the rubber industry for various end-product applications like tires, molded rubber goods, conveyor belts, rubber sheeting and other industrial rubber products to enhance their durability.
These Nano-particle grades with high tint strength have also found application in the plastic and master-batch industry where it is used as a UV protection and coloring agent for high quality and better life of plastic products.
