Monday, May 12- Tuesday May 13, 2025
Fort Worth, Texas
The Carbon Black World conference returns to the U.S. for its momentous 20th anniversary. With world events causing uncertainty and subsequent supply and demand issues, this timely event will give an in-depth analysis of markets and pending legislation. Industry challenges will be addressed, sustainability challenges will be explored, and the latest innovations will be discussed to provide a full 360 degree view of the carbon black world.
This event regularly attracts an international delegation of producers, end-users, and equipment solution providers from across the tire, rubber, plastics, compounds and ink industries. Take advantage of the opportunity to make new connections, share strategic insights, and explore future opportunities in the marketplace with decision makers from all areas of the value chain!
Why Attend Carbon Black World?
.jpg?ext=.jpg)
Randall B Smith, CTO of Seerstone Development LLC, is changing the tire industry, and the battery and metal-refining industries. Seerstone has invented a CO2-sourced method to produce industrial carbons. This method, the Noyes Process™, uses CO2 to make carbon, instead of burning oil (and emitting CO2). This Noyes Carbon can displace traditional carbon black in tires, significantly reducing the carbon intensity of the tire. Harvesting industrial carbons from CO2, instead of burning oil, is a major breakthrough for carbon materials production. Smith has proven this CO2-sourced carbon can be converted into synthetic graphite for use in lithium-ion batteries and in solid graphite structures. This matters because it gives the world a CO2-sourced supply chain for producing graphite – essential for batteries and metal refining. The US DOE has supported the solid graphite research. Smith’s work is rewriting how carbon will be made in future, by sequestering CO2 into durable industrial carbons.
Davide Bergna has a solid background in Process Engineering and Environmental Engineering. He has been associated with Oulun Yliopisto in Oulu, Finland since 2015, where he earned his D.Sc. in Process Engineering. Prior to this, he received his M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Milano, Italy.
Bergna has made contributions to the field of carbon research. His research is conducted at the Sustainable Chemistry Research Unit at the University of Oulu, Finland and the overall research focus includes areas such as circular economy, bioeconomy, and battery chemistry, with a focus on environmental and process engineering.
His research has been widely recognized and cited by peers in the field, contributing to his h-index of 11 and i10-index of 11 with 379 citations as of December 2023. His work has been published in reputable journals such as Chemical Engineering Science, Water Science & Technology, and Journal of Environmental Engineering.
In 2023, Bergna took on the role of Senior Application Specialist for Carbon Products at Hycamite TCD Technologies Ltd, further expanding his professional journey.
Paul Ita runs Notch Consulting, a Massachusetts-based research company dedicated to the market research needs of the global specialty chemicals industry. Mr. Ita focuses on raw materials for the global tire and rubber industries, with a particular focus on carbon black, silica, and rubber chemicals. Through Notch, he publishes the Carbon Black World Data Book and the Carbon Black Quarterly Newsletter.
Dr. Hubert Hirschlag
Chemist
*20.06.1966
2017 – today: Head of Raw Material Introduction, Continental Tires
Responsible for approval, release and industrialization of all compounding materials in Continental Tires
2007 – 2016: Global Manager Supplier Development, Continental AG
Responsible for development and improvement of Suppliers for Chemicals and Fillers
1999 – 2006: Plant Manager with Clariant AG at locations in Germany and Spain
Responsible for the production of various chemicals in batch and continuous processes
Robert Weibold is the founder and head of the consulting company Weibold, focused exclusively on end-of-life tire recycling and pyrolysis. Weibold operates worldwide and helps customers successfully build and upgrade tire recycling and pyrolysis businesses. The company was founded in 1999. Over the years, Weibold gathered an international team of experts and established a large professional network involving researchers, decision-makers, and authorities. Today, Robert Weibold liaises with numerous industry players, including the world’s leading innovators. This enables Weibold to receive first-hand information about markets, new products, and innovative technologies in tire recycling and tire pyrolysis.
Mr. Tim Bart is principal of Carbon Management International, a consulting firm established in 1999. Mr. Bart co-publishes the monthly CBO Monitor with Mr. Vince Guercio reporting on carbon black feedstock and the carbon black industry. Prior to 2017, Carbon Management was involved in global coal tar and coal tar distillation, consulting and sourcing distillation products for related downstream industries. Mr. Bart serves as president of the International Tar Association, an industry association comprised of coal tar distillation and related companies. Mr. Bart received degrees in Environmental Science, Masters of Business Administration, Masters of Communications and Masters of International Relations from Rutgers University, Fairleigh Dickinson University and Seton Hall University.
Josh Guilliams, Vice President of Consultancy, leads Smithers’ technical consulting team based in Akron, Ohio. Josh manages client relationships and works with other Smithers experts on complex projects. He also conducts in-depth investigations of a wide variety of rubber materials and final products on behalf of clients.
Before joining the team at Smithers, Guilliams spent several years in leadership at Polymer Valley Chemicals, Inc., as Technical Director and Vice President of Technical Operations. Prior to his time at Polymer Valley Chemicals, he held technical and commercial roles at Hankook Tire, EASTMAN Chemical Corporation, LANXESS Corporation, and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
Paul Ita runs Notch Consulting, a Massachusetts-based research company dedicated to the market research needs of the global specialty chemicals industry. Mr. Ita focuses on raw materials for the global tire and rubber industries, with a particular focus on carbon black, silica, and rubber chemicals. Through Notch, he publishes the Carbon Black World Data Book and the Carbon Black Quarterly Newsletter.
Martin von Wolfersdorff is an independent strategic consultant specialising in carbon materials such as carbon black, recovered carbon black, graphenes and carbon nanotubes. With Smithers, he founded the recovered Carbon Black Conference Series in 2019. Martin is also documenting the circular economy with tires on popular social media like Linkedin, Youtube and Instagram. Prior to his consulting business, Martin had leadership roles in the carbon black, plastic colour concentrates and titanium dioxide industries. He is a chemical engineer (Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg) and certified coach (EASC).
Dr. Jerry (Zhen) Lai is the R&D Director at Birla Carbon based in Atlanta, USA. Jerry is responsible for new product development and technical service for Specialty Blacks applications in Coatings, Plastics, Inks, Sealants and Niche. Prior to Birla Carbon, Jerry held multiple technical leadership positions at Xerox, Momentive, and Hexion, with years of experience in product development in the chemical industry.
Jerry Holds Ph.D. degree of Chemical Engineering from Leigh University, a Master, and a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tsinghua University. He has over 20 publications, 30+ granted patents, and many conference presentations.
Theo is Global Director, Strategic Projects for the Reinforcement Materials business at Cabot corporation. He has 33 year of service at Cabot and held various positions in Cabot’s reinforcement materials organization, including Global Technical Service Director, Business Segment Manager, Applications Development Manager and Facility Manager at Cabot Technical Center. Theo has received 6 Cabot Awards of Excellence and played an important role in the development and market introduction of Cabot’s SPHERON® and, more recently, the PROPEL® carbon black series. His educational background is in Analytical and Polymer Chemistry. Theo is highly interested in “Sustainability”, his main hobbies are soccer, sports fishing, tennis and reading. Theo and his wife Carla have two children and live in The Netherlands.
Shane Perl is managing director of Alpen Group LLC, a firm specialising in management consulting on carbon black feedstocks, pyrolysis oils and specialty chemicals, as well as in the sourcing, sales, distribution, trading and brokering of carbon black feedstock oils. Shane Perl has a BSc in chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA in Marketing from University of Detroit and Rutgers University. Before founding Alpen Group, Shane worked 15 years with BASF in capital projects and procurement and 5 years as Director Strategic Sourcing with the carbon black producer Cabot.
