In the mid of January 2026, the South Korean carbon black market continued to thrive because there was strong demand coming from the automotive sector, battery manufacturers and coatings manufacturers. The increase in consumption of specialty carbon black due to the production of high-performance tires and electric vehicle (EV) tires and the increase in the offtake of conductive-grade carbon black by battery manufacturers for use in electrodes has created high demand. Domestic production has kept supply tight and limited the ability of markets to obtain imported carbon black and has constrained the supply of spot. Sustainability initiatives also have increased in importance as recovered carbon black from pyrolysis is being combined with carbon black from other manufacturing processes in formulations for tires and for industrial rubber products. While the use of silica-containing tread compounds and lower construction activity may have limited growth opportunities for some market segments, the overall fundamentals of the carbon black industry has remained strong due to substantial demand from downstream users and low inventory levels.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
