After inaugurating its new 45,000 t/y black masterbatch and carbon black plant in Tianjin / China in September 2011 (see Plasteurope.com of 21.09.2011), US specialty chemicals producer Cabot Corporation (Boston, Massachusetts; www.cabot-corp.com) in late December 2011 announced that it would close its Hong Kong masterbatch plant on 31 March 2012 and transfer the entire production to Tianjin.

“The move allows is to be closer to our customers, and to deliver high-quality, cost-competitive masterbatch, using the most advanced process technologies in the industry,” said Cabot CEO Patrick Prevost. The US group says it designed its Tianjin site to be Asia’s leading, fully integrated black masterbatch and carbon black production hub.

Cabot’s masterbatches, which are comprised of a polymer and carbon black mixture, are used in a number of end applications, including in the infrastructure and automotive segments.