Specialty carbon black finds extensive use in the polymer manufacturing process to impart functionalities such as UV protection and conductive characteristics. The polymer manufactured using specialty carbon black is used in wires & cables, electronics, conductive packaging, film and sheet, fibers, moldings, and pipes.
In molded plastic parts, (both injection or blow-molded parts) used in the consumer, industrial and automotive markets, specialty carbon black imparts long-lasting color, opacity, and surface smoothness to ensure aesthetic quality and maintain the mechanical properties of the part. Specialty carbon black is highly used in wires & cables as it provides critical performance in semi-conductive shields. The semi-conductive compound acts as a shield to smoothen sharp edges on the conductor surface and eliminate the electrical field stress by homogenizing the electrical field around the conductor. Ultraviolet (UV) protection characteristics can be embedded in the plastics by the addition of specialty carbon black. These plastics are then used for cable jacketing and telecommunication cables to protect them from mechanical shocks, chemicals, oils, and exposure to weathering. Due to the UV-protection capabilities imparted by specialty carbon black, it is also utilized in the manufacturing of plastic pipes. The conductive or electrostatic dissipative (ESD) performance of specialty carbon black in plastics increases its usage in various end-use industries. Conductive plastics offer protection against premature failure or damage due to electrostatic discharge in a variety of applications such as automotive fuel systems, electronic and electrical packaging, and equipment viz.
IC carrier tapes, ESD films, IC thermoformed trays, ESD corrugated boards, IC rigid trays, ESD boxes, containers, fiber/slit tape, conveying, industrial & consumer, conductive moldings, and other plastic applications. In the fiber and textile industries, specialty carbon black offers exceptional color performance, physical cleanliness, and filterability. Furthermore, specialty carbon black offers surface smoothness, opacity, and dispersibility performance in a wide range of films and sheets viz. packaging and lamination films, agricultural mulch, and silage films, geosynthetics and geomembranes, and general-purpose films and sheets.
Thus, to impart superior functionalities in polymer chemistries and various end-use industries such as electronics, automotive, etc. the demand for specialty carbon is increasing at a significant rate and is expected to drive the growth of the global market during the forecast period.
The specialty carbon black finds a wide range of applications in the manufacturing of printing inks owing to its excellent pigmenting property. The most important features of specialty carbon black that contribute to its excellent pigmenting property are the size of the primary particles and structure of the aggregates, which help in the manufacturing of printing inks with fast wetting time, high dispersion, and excellent rheological properties, high gloss, dark color tone, high optical density, and high tint strength. The smaller the primary particle size, the greater the surface area per unit weight of pigment black in the dispersion. The greater surface area and increased number of aggregates per unit weight increase the light absorption and scattering efficiency of inks manufactured using specialty carbon black, and thus, in turn, enhance the colorimetric property of printing inks such as undertone, optical density, gloss, and degree of blackness.
The significantly growing demand for printing inks in the packaging industry is surging the demand for specialty carbon black. With the growth of the global packaging industry in the past few years due to the increasing demand across end-use industries, such as food & beverage, personal & home care, and e-commerce, the demand for printing inks is also increasing substantially. The food & beverage industry extensively relies on packaging for retail, catering, and food distribution. With the primary purpose of packaging in the food & beverage industry viz. to protect food items by packing them in sachets, containers, pouches, and plastic bags, packaging also helps to enhance the aesthetic appeal of food & beverage products and personal care and home care products such as face creams, moisturizers, shampoos & conditioners, oil bottles, other cosmetics, detergent bottles, bleach bottles, and different household cleaning bottles. The e-commerce industry is witnessing manifold growth in recent years and is taking up more of the retail market with every passing year. With the growth of the e-commerce industry, the demand for packaging is likely to increase, which consequently is expected to drive the demand for printing inks. Besides, the growth of the digital textile printing market is also expected to support the demand for printing inks in the coming years.
Thus, the growth in the demand for printing inks in various end-use industries across the globe is projected to boost the growth of the global specialty carbon black market during the review period.
Specialty carbon black is used as a pigment in paints and coatings to increase the gloss value and enhance the appearance of the colors. In the competitive coatings market, product innovation is a key parameter, which helps coating manufacturers to stand out from the competition. Specialty carbon black-based paints & coatings are innovative products, which are high in demand. These types of paints and coatings are used for premium applications such as automobile basecoats, wood coatings, powder coatings, and industrial coatings. Therefore, the considerable demand for high-performance coatings in the latter applications is adding substantial revenue to the global specialty carbon black market. According to Statista, as shown in below figure, global paints and coating market is projected to reach USD 235.06 billion in 2029 from USD 146.54 billion in 2021.
Thus, the expanding paints and coatings industry is expected to increase the demand for specialty carbon black and support the growth of the global market during the forecast period.
