Cabot acquires Chinese carbon nanotube producer

Cabot Corporation announced on Monday that it had entered into an agreement to purchase Shenzhen Sanshun Nano New Materials Co., Ltd (SUSN), a carbon nanotube (CNT) producer in China for approximately $115 million. SUSN is the second largest CNT producer in the world, and the acquisition will significantly strengthen Cabot’s market position and formulation capabilities in the batteries segment, particularly in China. SUSN produces both dry powder CNTs and dispersions. Cabot produces a range of conductive carbon products, including Vulcan XC-series carbon blacks, PBX carbon performance additives for advanced lead-acid batteries, LITX conductive additives for lithium-ion batteries, and ATHLOS carbon nanostructures. With this acquisition, Cabot will be the only carbon additive supplier offering carbon black, CNT, carbon nanostructure and dispersion capabilities, according to the company. SUSN commissioned a new CNT plant in China in November 2018, which has sufficient capacity to support growth over the next several years. The company will be managed as part of Cabot’s global energy materials business within the Performance Chemicals segment. The parties expect to close the transaction in the second quarter of fiscal 2020.