Orion S.A. has started producing circular carbon black at its ISCC PLUS-certified plant in Qingdao, China, using tire pyrolysis oil as a feedstock.

The company said the facility is producing three ECORAX Circular grades: ECORAX Circular 200, ECORAX Circular 210 and ECORAX Circular 215. The grades are made from tire pyrolysis oil, also known as TPO, which is derived from tire recycling through pyrolysis.

According to Orion, ECORAX Circular 200 is a hard carbon black grade suitable for tires. ECORAX Circular 210 and 215 can be used in tires and mechanical rubber goods.

Expansion supports global circular carbon black supply

Orion CEO Corning Painter said the new production capability in China is part of the company’s effort to offer circular carbon black grades globally.

He said the product line extension gives Orion more flexibility to meet demand for circular products while maintaining the performance, consistency and quality expected by customers.

Orion said it was the first carbon black producer to make carbon black with 100% tire pyrolysis oil and to commercialize multiple ISCC PLUS-certified grades from different feedstocks at plants worldwide.

Production follows European scale-up

The launch in China follows Orion’s earlier scale-up of circular carbon black production in Europe. Last year, the company began large-volume production of ECORAX Circular 200 and ECORAX Circular 210 at a commercial reactor in Jasło, Poland.

Both grades produced in Poland are made from tire-derived oil and are ISCC PLUS-certified. The certification verifies transparent and traceable sourcing of sustainable raw materials.

ECORAX Circular 200 and 210 are hard black grades designed as drop-in replacements for ASTM N326 and N330, respectively, which are produced from conventional feedstocks.

According to Orion, these circular alternatives allow tire manufacturers to incorporate sustainable materials without compromising product performance.

Dedicated infrastructure separates feedstocks

Orion said its facilities in China and Poland use dedicated infrastructure, including separate oil tanks for tire pyrolysis oil and carbon black oil.

The two feedstocks are introduced into the reactor through separate streams to produce ECORAX Circular grades.

Pedro Riveros, senior vice president of Global Rubber Carbon Black at Orion, said the company now has infrastructure to receive, store and dose tire pyrolysis oil in a controlled way during production.

He said Orion’s technology allows the company to adjust the blending ratio of tire pyrolysis oil and carbon black oil, supporting more precise measurement of TPO content.

According to Riveros, this control is important for quality consistency and can help customers implement circular commercial strategies.

Orion continues focus on tire-derived feedstocks

Riveros added that Orion has invested in tire pyrolysis oil production in Europe and will act as an offtaker of circular feedstock at multiple sites on the continent.

He said the company will continue to evaluate opportunities that support its global circular carbon black strategy.

Orion is a global supplier of carbon black for tires, coatings, inks, batteries, plastics and other specialty applications. The company operates four innovation centers and produces carbon black at 15 plants worldwide.

The launch in Qingdao adds to the company’s circular carbon black production capacity and reflects growing interest in using tire-derived oil from pyrolysis as a feedstock in industrial carbon black manufacturing.

Article source: Orion Carbons.