Press Releases

For Tire and Technical Rubber Goods Applications

• Birla Carbon, and development partner GranBio Technologies announce the
  introduction of a nanocellulose dispersion composite (NDC™) rubber masterbatch.
• The NDC™ masterbatch provides optimal dispersion in rubber formulations to
  improve physical performance and increase sustainable material content.
• Visit the Birla Carbon Booth - C 505 at Tire Technology 2020, for more information.

Mumbai, India and Atlanta, USA – February 20, 2020 – Birla Carbon and GranBio Technologies announce the introduction of their patent-pending NDC™ rubber
masterbatch for qualification by tire and rubber companies. The breakthrough in NDC™
masterbatch is the result of a three-year Joint Development Program between the two
companies designed to address growing sustainability demands from the tire industry
both in terms of improving tire rolling resistance and vehicle fuel economy through
enabling the incorporation of sustainable, bio-derived nanocellulose into commercial
rubber compounds.

The utilization of nanocellulose in rubber goods and tires has been an active area of
research and development throughout industry and academia over the past several
years. However, effective dispersion of hydrophilic nanocellulose into hydrophobic rubber
formulations has been a persistent problem that has previously hindered widespread
uptake by the rubber industry.

Sharing his thoughts on the announcement, Dale Clark, Chief Technology Officer, Birla
Carbon said, “At Birla Carbon, we focus on the market trends and work closely with our
customers to understand where they need help delivering value. A key product innovation
goal of our tire customers is to increase the amount of renewable raw materials in their
tires through product innovation.” He further added, “The NDC™ masterbatch enables
delivery of this goal while maintaining or improving tire properties and performance.”

“This is a significant milestone in GranBio’s commercialization of its breakthrough
BioPlus® nanocellulose technology. GranBio Technologies is committed to bringing
renewable technologies to market to improve sustainability while providing improved
product functionality for our customers. We are proud to be partnering with Birla Carbon
to bring this solution to market and look forward to seeing the first commercial products
literally on the road,” shared Kenneth Hill, Chief Commercial Officer, GranBio
Technologies.

The NDC™ masterbatch overcomes traditional dispersion challenges by
combining several synergistic innovations developed by our team members including
GranBio’s patented hydrophobic form of nanocellulose. The breakthrough in
nanocellulose technology for rubber compounds provides many advantages and benefits
for the rubber compounder including easy dispersing, convenient, dust-free handling and
integration into formulations along with increased use of renewable raw materials and
improvements in fuel economy.

For more information about the NDC™ masterbatch, please contact the development
teams at Birla Carbon (charles.herd@adityabirla.com) and Granbio Technologies
(knelson@granbio.com).

About Birla Carbon

Birla Carbon is a leading global supplier of carbon black. As one of the flagship
businesses of the US$ 48.3 billion Aditya Birla Group, Birla Carbon provides innovative
sustainable carbon black solutions that enhance the performance of paints and coatings,
inks and toners, plastics, adhesives, sealants, textile fibers, mechanical rubber goods and
tires. The company’s footprint extends across 12 countries with 16 manufacturing facilities
and two state-of-the-art technology centers in Marietta (USA) and Taloja (India), providing industry leading innovation. It’s Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE) strategy focuses on employee safety, environmental stewardship, efficient use of carbon sources and operating in a socially and ethically responsible manner. Visit -  www.birlacarbon.com 

For more information, contact:

Roysten Dmello, Corporate Communications

About GranBio Technologies

GranBio Technologies is a subsidiary of GranBio Investimentos S.A. (São Paulo, Brazil),
an industrial biotechnology company focused on commercial deployment of
technologies for the production of biofuels, biochemicals, and advanced renewable
materials, including nanocellulose.

Nanocellulose is a versatile high-strength, lightweight renewable biomaterial that
Thomson Reuters named as one of the top 10 technologies that will change the world by
2025. GranBio produces a variety of BioPlus nanocellulose products, including cellulose
nanofibrils, cellulose nanocrystals, and hydrophobic lignin-coated versions at their
Thomaston Biorefinery in Georgia. GranBio Technologies holds an extensive patent
portfolio in the biorefinery and nanocellulose fields including over 200 worldwide granted
and patents pending. Visit - www.granbio.com