Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Cabot Corporation, located in Sarnia, ON, is a leading global specialty chemicals and performance materials company committed to advancing sustainable practices and technologies. The company is actively engaged in the development of an innovative pollution control technology that has the potential to revolutionize the management of trail gas streams in carbon black processes. The new pollution control technology is novel in several ways. It uses a two-stage approach to control trail gas emissions. In the first stage, trail gas streams are treated with a high-temperature catalytic oxidation process to complete the trail gas stream's combustion and treat most of the pollutants. The remaining pollutants are removed in the second stage using a specialized activated carbon adsorption process. Cabot and Lambton College' will collaborate to leverage the testing and analysis of the trail gas system to optimize the process and assist with implementing the engineered pollution control system. The goal is to develop and optimize a new process to remove pollutants in carbon black process trail gas streams. The research objectives are to design and build a test system to test the effectiveness of the two-stage process in removing pollutants from trail gas generated during the carbon black process. In addition, to optimize the process parameters to achieve optimal performance of the two-stage process while also scaling up the process to on-site trail gas system at Cabot Corporation, evaluating the performance of the technology in a real-world setting. The team will develop the instrumentation and control system, integrate it with the in-situ testing and analysis system, install the commission control system, and ensure the results match the lab instruments. The new pollution control technology for carbon black processes is expected to have significant benefits. The technology will improve efficiency and effectiveness by reducing gas emissions and improving air quality. By adopting this innovative approach, the company is positioning itself as a leader in developing sustainable technologies and practices in the chemical industry. Contributing to the growth and development of Canada's economy, results will lead to new high-skilled job opportunities in the research and development, engineering, and manufacturing sectors. Cabot has estimated the creation of up to 5 new positions in the construction and operation of the new trail gas system.