Birla Carbon's Performance Triangle: Simplifying formulation challenges

The humble carbon black is ubiquitous in nature. From strengthening water piping systems, tyres, and cables to powering lithium-ion batteries, carbon black serves many distinct uses in our everyday life. But for manufacturers who use carbon black, developing new formulations can be tricky.

One of the biggest hurdles manufacturers face is balancing three key factors: cost, performance, and sustainability. Aditya Birla Group’s Birla Carbon understands this challenge. With years of experience and R&D expertise, it has become a worldwide leader in offering customised carbon black solutions to global companies. Birla Carbon developed a unique framework called the Performance Triangle to address this very issue. This framework helps manufacturers identify the different components and achieve the most balanced formulation.

The secret lies in the properties

The various uses of carbon black depend on how its physical and chemical attributes affect performance. For instance, factors that impact pigment selection include viscosity, colour, dispersion, conductivity and type of surface (acidic or neutral). The factors affecting formulation include dispersant loading, compatibility of dispersant and resin, and whether the system is solvent-borne or water-borne. Dispersal process looks at the wetting process, media site and density, and so on. Getting these factors to balance correctly is crucial for peak performance of the carbon black application.

The Performance Triangle: A guide for balanced formulations

The Birla Carbon Performance Triangle identifies key performance aspects crucial for successful formulation. By considering these points and their interrelationships, formulators can make informed decisions when selecting the right pigment which should ideally be done keeping goals and deliverables in mind.

Achieving a balanced performance

The Birla Carbon Performance Triangle emphasises the importance of considering all three aspects – formulation, dispersion, and pigment selection preventing an over-focus on one at the expense of others.

• Simplified selection process: By understanding how the many properties of carbon black interact, formulators can narrow down pigment choices based on the end application of the product.
• Sustainable solutions: The Performance Triangle can guide the selection of pigments that contribute to a more sustainable formulation process.
• Optimum dispersant loading: Using the right amount of dispersant ensures proper pigment distribution.
• Dispersant compatibility: Ensuring compatibility between dispersant and resin is crucial for optimal performance.
• Considering hardware limitations: The type of equipment available can influence pigment selection.
• Wetting and dispersion processes: Factors like media size and energy input during processing impact final results.

Birla Carbon's Performance Triangle is a powerful tool for formulators and manufacturers. By understanding how these key performance aspects work together, formulators can achieve a more streamlined and efficient development process, ultimately resulting in superior and sustainable product formulations.