Cabot Corporation Expands North American Battery Materials Platform

BOSTON, Sept. 17, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Cabot Corporation, a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company, has secured a modified $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI). This funding, combined with an additional $75 million investment from Cabot, will support the expansion of the company’s North American battery materials platform.

The expansion plans include the production of advanced conductive additives at Cabot’s facilities in Franklin, Louisiana, and Pampa, Texas. These additives are crucial for improving battery performance and are essential for the growing demand in energy storage, electrification, and emerging AI-related infrastructure.

According to Sean Keohane, President and CEO of Cabot Corporation, the investment is a significant step in the company’s strategy to build a differentiated battery materials business that supports the global economy’s most significant growth trends. Keohane noted, "Demand for advanced batteries continues to expand across energy storage, electrification, and emerging AI-related infrastructure. By leveraging our existing manufacturing assets, we can efficiently expand our battery materials platform, strengthen our position in the North American battery ecosystem, and support our customers’ growth with localized supply."

The planned investments will focus on the production of LITX® advanced battery-grade conductive carbons at the Franklin, Louisiana facility. Additionally, the company will establish the first commercial-scale production of carbon nanostructures (CNS), part of the ENERMAX™ product family, at its Pampa, Texas facility. These conductive additives are designed to enhance battery performance and meet the evolving needs of next-generation energy storage and electrification applications.

Cabot Corporation is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for advanced battery materials through its decades of materials expertise, longstanding relationships with leading battery manufacturers, and global manufacturing footprint. The company’s broad portfolio of conductive carbons, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanostructures enables efficient scaling of production and supports customers with localized supply.

The expansion is expected to be operational by the end of 2028 and will contribute to U.S. leadership in advanced battery materials technologies. By leveraging existing manufacturing assets, Cabot aims to accelerate the development of a local and secure supply of critical conductive additives for the growing domestic battery supply chain while creating high-quality manufacturing and construction jobs.

This investment underscores Cabot Corporation’s commitment to the North American battery market and positions the company as a reliable, long-term supplier as its customers scale production.