Carbon black under REACH
C (amorphous) · 炭黑
Status: Registered. Carbon black is fully registered under REACH at the highest tonnage band (>1,000,000 tonnes/year). **Distinguishing pattern: Production via oil furnace process at ~95% of global capacity (verify production-route share against ICIS or industry sources before quoting), with smaller volumes from thermal black + channel black + acetylene black + lamp black processes; oil furnace process partially combusts heavy aromatic feedstock oil (FCC clarified slurry oil or coal tar / anthracene oil) to yield carbon black aggregates of controlled particle size and surface area + tire and rubber industry primary end-use (~70% of consumption, tread + sidewall + carcass + inner-liner reinforcement) plus non-tire rubber goods (~20%, conveyor belts + hoses + seals) plus pigment / colorant for plastics + printing inks + paints (~10%) plus speciality electronics (toner + battery) downstream chains + IARC Group 2B since IARC Monograph Volume 93 (2010) (verify against monographs.iarc.who.int Volume 93 before relying).** No harmonised CLP entry for carbon black; ECHA C&L Inventory aggregates notifier classifications: typically NOT classified as hazardous beyond inhalable / respirable particulate dust (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/information-on-chemicals before relying). NOT SVHC. NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin carbon black currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing).
Carbon black is fully REACH-registered with **low hazard profile beyond respirable-dust handling and IARC Group 2B since Volume 93 (2010)**. NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV. NO active EU AD. **Production: oil furnace ~95% (heavy aromatic feedstock partial combustion)**. **Tire and rubber ~70% + non-tire rubber goods ~20% + pigment ~10% + electronics** downstream chains. Major Chinese producers: Black Cat Carbon Black (multiple sites including Jiangxi Chaoyang + Tangshan + Korla + Liaoning Chaoyang), Jiangxi Black Cat, Longxing Tianjin, Suzhou Baohua, Maoming Petrochemical, Shandong Yongdong, Shandong Huadong.
Listing and threshold
| Substance | Carbon black (CAS 1333-86-4), C (amorphous) |
|---|---|
| Regime | EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals |
| Jurisdiction | European Union (EU-27 plus EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) |
| Status | Registered |
| Tonnage threshold | Registration required for any importer or manufacturer placing >1 t/year on the EU market |
Classifications under this regime
- No harmonised CLP entry for carbon black; notifier classification (per ECHA C&L Inventory): typically NOT classified as hazardous beyond inhalable / respirable particulate dust (verify against ECHA C&L Inventory before relying)
- **IARC Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) since IARC Monograph Volume 93 (2010)** (verify against monographs.iarc.who.int Volume 93)
- NOT subject to Drug Precursors or Explosives Precursors scheduling
- ADR / RID transport classification: NOT regulated for properly conditioned commercial-grade carbon black; freshly-produced carbon black may be classified UN 1361 Class 4.2 (spontaneously combustible) until conditioned (verify against ADR before relying)
- Inhalable / respirable particulate dust workplace exposure considerations apply (verify against ECHA REACH registration dossier and national OEL lists before relying)
Restrictions and conditions of use
- NOT on REACH Annex XIV (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/authorisation-list)
- NOT classified as SVHC (verify against ECHA https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table)
- NOT subject to any Annex XVII restriction
- NO active EU AD case on Chinese-origin carbon black currently (verify against EUR-Lex https://eur-lex.europa.eu/ before invoicing)
- NOT in CBAM Phase 1 scope
Importer obligations
A non-EU producer cannot register directly under REACH. The EU importer of record must hold a registration or rely on an Only Representative (OR). Major Chinese carbon black producers (verify each producer-site pair against the producer's public website before relying on a specific plant): Black Cat Carbon Black Jiangxi Chaoyang plus Tangshan plus Korla plus Liaoning Chaoyang operations, Jiangxi Black Cat Carbon Black Jiangxi operations, Longxing Chemical Stock Tianjin operations, Suzhou Baohua Carbon Black, Maoming Petrochemical Carbon Black, Shandong Yongdong Carbon Black, Shandong Huadong Rubber Materials.
Required documents
- REACH registration number on EU side
- SDS (with respirable dust handling notes; freshly-produced spontaneous-combustion notes where applicable)
- Customs entry HS code 280300 (carbon black including acetylene black; verify HS split if specialty grade)
- No ADR documentation typically required for properly conditioned commercial-grade; ADR for UN 1361 Class 4.2 where freshly-produced
Common compliance traps
The pitfalls that have bitten importers on this lane in the past. None of these is theoretical.
- **Production: oil furnace process ~95% of capacity (heavy aromatic feedstock oil partial combustion); smaller volumes from thermal black + channel black + acetylene black + lamp black**
- **Tire and rubber industry ~70% (tread + sidewall + carcass + inner-liner) + non-tire rubber goods ~20% (conveyor belts + hoses + seals) + pigment / plastics / printing inks / paints ~10% + electronics (toner + battery) downstream chains**
- NOT SVHC, NOT Annex XIV, NO active EU AD
- **IARC Group 2B since Volume 93 (2010)**
- Freshly-produced carbon black may be UN 1361 Class 4.2 spontaneously combustible until conditioned
- Major Chinese producers: Black Cat Carbon Black Jiangxi+Tangshan+Korla+Liaoning Chaoyang, Jiangxi Black Cat, Longxing Tianjin, Suzhou Baohua, Maoming Petrochemical, Shandong Yongdong, Shandong Huadong (verify each producer-site pair)
Where to read next
For substance-level identifiers (formula, molecular weight, SMILES, InChIKey), GHS hazard profile, IMDG transport class, and full sourcing reference for carbon black, see the CAS 1333-86-4 sourcing reference.
For grade-by-grade buying notes, freight maths, supplier-tier pricing, and a worked landed-cost example, the carbon black cornerstone hub covers the full sourcing chain.
For the structure and history of REACH, see the REACH glossary entry.
Need cross-jurisdiction compliance support on this substance? Run it through the REACH / TSCA / IECSC / AICIS / K-REACH checker, or send us the substance and the destination and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the regulatory work on the destination side.
Read next
Cross-jurisdiction profile and sourcing references
Regulatory
Carbon black under TSCA
United States of America listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Carbon black under IECSC
People's Republic of China listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Carbon black under AICIS
Australia listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Regulatory
Carbon black under K-REACH
Republic of Korea listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Glossary
REACH, Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
EU chemical regulation requiring importers and manufacturers to register every substance manufactured or imported into the EU above 1 tonne per year. Registration is identity-based and dossier-based, not inventory-lookup-based, which makes it stricter than TSCA in the US.
Referenced in
4 pages across the Sourzi moat
This term shows up in 4 regulatory pages. Sample backlinks per content type below.
Free download
Free PDF: the same MSDS verification template the Sourzi team uses to cross-reference factory documents against TSCA, REACH, AICIS, and CDR before booking.