<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0304</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2011-12-31</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000016040</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CABOT CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CBT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001214937</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MCCANCE HENRY F</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O CABOT CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>TWO SEAPORT LANE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02210</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Phantom Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2011-12-31</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>692.2838</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>32.14</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>692.2838</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>14247.2601</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">1 for 1</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Immediately exercisable</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The shares of phantom stock become payable upon the reporting person's termination of service as a director.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">On November 11, 2011, Cabot's Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.18 per share on Cabot common stock, payable on December 9, 2011 to all holders of record of common stock on November 25, 2011.  Mr. McCance received a dividend on his phantom stock units totalling $2,426.84, which was immediately reinvested in phantom stock units at a price of $33.45 per share, the closing price on December 9, 2011.  As a result, 72.5513 phantom stock units were allocated to Mr. McCance on December 9, 2011.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: Karen Abrams, pursuant to a power of attorney from Henry F. McCance</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-01-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
