Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB): a versatile polymer for advanced industrial applications

Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB): a versatile polymer for advanced industrial applications

Thursday, 8 October, 2026

Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB) is a highly versatile polymer derived from cellulose, one of the most abundant natural raw materials on the planet. Thanks to its origin, CAB has a significant bio-based content of approximately 35–40%, making it an attractive option from a sustainability perspective.

Its unique chemical structure, combining butyryl, acetyl and hydroxyl groups, makes it suitable for a wide variety of industrial and commercial applications. This versatility makes CAB a key material in sectors such as paints, coatings and inks.

Wide range of applications

CAB can be incorporated into a wide variety of formulations:

Wood coatings: furniture, acrylic and polyurethane systems, high-gloss and open-pore finishes
Printing inks: UV and solvent-based inks, flexographic and gravure printing, inkjet, screen printing and OPVs
Automotive coatings (OEM and refinishing): basecoats and clearcoats
Can and coil coatings
Coatings for natural and synthetic leather

Its excellent adaptability means that the range of potential applications is virtually limitless.

Benefits in coatings and inks

In coatings, CAB offers a well-balanced combination of technical properties:

Formation of strong, durable films
High flexibility
Good weather resistance
Reduction of surface defects such as pinholes and orange peel
Faster drying
High transparency
Improved intercoat adhesion
Optimum particle orientation
Viscosity control
Chemical resistance to water, oils and numerous solvents

In inks, particularly for flexible packaging applications, CAB significantly improves:

Adhesion
Flexibility
Transparency
Overall system performance

Comindex –part of Impag Group– offers a wide range of CAB grades from Fujian Hongyan, with different butyryl contents and viscosities.
Please contact our team of technical sales advisors to select the most suitable grade for your application.

Conclusion

Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB) is a highly versatile material combining sustainability, performance and adaptability. Its excellent properties make it a key component in numerous industrial applications, particularly in high-performance coatings and inks.

Images taken from a presentation on CAB by Jérôme Boolard

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