Cancarb’s N990CG Receives FDA Food Contact Notification Approval

Cancarb Limited recently announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Food Contact Notification (FCN) for Thermax^® N990CG, a drop-in replacement for Thermax^® N990 with low levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). FCNs are premarket submissions to the FDA for food contact substances. PAHs are chemicals that have been classified as carcinogenic to humans.

Cancarb is optimistic that this FDA approval will lead to the use of Thermax^® N990CG in many new applications. Examples include but are not limited to drinking water systems, medical devices, grips for tools and athletic equipment, and other PAH-sensitive rubber applications. Cancarb is the global leader in thermal carbon blacks, substances produced by the combustion of natural gas and added to rubber products for strength, resistance, and pigmentation.

Thermax^® N990CG is a drop-in replacement for Thermax^® N990, a medium thermal carbon black with applications in rubber belts, diaphragms, expansion joints, seals, gaskets, tubing, and hoses. Cancarb introduced N990CG in 2022 to help customers who need to meet current and future standards for low-PAH products. To ensure compliance with the European Union’s Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, the PAH content of N990CG was measured according to ASTM D8143.

Among its many applications, Thermax^® N990CG is suitable for use in EPDM gaskets that contact drinking water. As Cancarb explains in a technical bulletin, N990CG passes the requirements for NSF 61, a U.S. standard for evaluating the health effects of drinking water system components. EPDM gaskets are used in plumbing systems to prevent leaks at joints and fittings, and N990CG demonstrates excellent compression set and compressive stress relaxation performance.

Thermax^® N990CG is also suitable for use in butyl rubber stoppers for pharmaceutical vials. As Cancarb explains in a separate technical bulletin, N990CG has acceptable levels of extractables, chemical compounds that migrate from rubber materials under specific environmental conditions. Butyl rubber has low permeability and good sealing properties, but there is a risk of contamination from extractables during pharmaceutical transit or storage.

Visitors to the Global Polymer Summit in Cleveland, Ohio, from September 8 to 11, 2025, can find Cancarb there to inquire about its recent announcement. But, there’s no need to wait until September, contact us for additional information about N990CG and the full line of Thermax^® thermal carbon blacks that are available through RDAbbott.