Author: William Foreman

New ECOLAR 50 POWDER delivers comparable performance to regularly produced specialty carbon blacks across a broad range of coatings systems.

 HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, has launched ECOLAR 50 POWDER – a new bio-circular carbon black that will help coatings manufacturers formulate more sustainable coatings.

ECOLAR 50 POWDER delivers coloristic properties comparable to regular specialty carbon blacks.

“We’re leading the way in advancing carbon black to meet increasing industry demands for sustainable products,” said Tilo Lindner, vice president for global marketing for specialty carbon black at Orion, which more than 10 years ago was the first company to launch a plant oil-based carbon black product.

“ECOLAR 50 POWDER enables coatings formulators to develop truly sustainable products in all kinds of coatings applications,” Lindner added.

Based completely on bio-circular feedstock not in competition with the food chain, ECOLAR 50 POWDER contains 100% biogenic raw material per ¹⁴C analysis. A low to medium color furnace black, ECOLAR 50 POWDER’s coloristic properties provide medium jetness in mass tone applications plus good tinting strength.

For example, when testing in a solvent–borne alkyd/melamine stoving enamel system, ECOLAR 50 POWDER achieved medium jetness at a higher level compared to other regular specialty carbon blacks. It also produced a comparable neutral undertone.

Tested In a water-borne 1K PU coating system, ECOLAR 50 POWDER produced jetness comparable to other regular specialty carbon blacks and generated a more neutral undertone.

Compared to traditionally produced low-color furnace blacks, ECOLAR 50 POWDER has similar wetting and dispersion properties and provides comparable coloristic performance for both full-tone and tinting applications.

For more information about ECOLAR 50 POWDER and the Orion portfolio for coatings systems, contact the Orion sales team here.

About Orion S.A.

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has four innovation centers and produces carbon black at 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator,
applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Orion Contacts:

William Foreman
Orion S.A.
Director of Corporate Communications
[email protected]
+1 281-889-7833

Carbon black is a solid form of carbon that comes in the form of powder or pellets. It’s an essential material found in many of the products we use every day. In fact, nearly every man-made product that is black contains carbon black.

What are common uses of carbon black?

This high-tech material is most commonly used to reinforce rubber, such as in tires and mechanical rubber goods like hoses, seals, and belts. In inks and coatings, carbon black serves as an excellent black pigment, producing a deep black shade. It also reinforces polymers, protecting them from the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Additionally, carbon black helps conduct electricity in batteries, making it a versatile and ubiquitous material.

What are the chemical properties of carbon black?

Allow us to get a bit technical for the experts. Chemically, carbon black is a colloidal form of elemental carbon, similar to graphite in its microstructure. It is characterized by extremely small particles and a high specific surface area (SSA). Carbon black usually contains more than 95% carbon. Depending on the production process and the raw materials used, it may also contain small amounts of chemically bound oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. The physical and chemical properties of each grade of carbon black are kept within narrow specifications to ensure consistency and quality.

Why is carbon black important?

Carbon black’s versatility makes it crucial in various industries. For example:

• Automotive: It strengthens tires and other rubber components, enhancing durability and performance.
• Printing: It provides the deep black color in inks, ensuring high-quality prints.
• Batteries: It improves the conductivity of batteries for electric vehicles, battery energy storage systems and dry cell batteries, contributing to better performance.

Learn More

For a deeper dive into the world of carbon black, check out this article by Orion scientists: “Carbon Black” in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology Online, available on the Wiley Online Library.

HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, announced today that the Reciend Group will be its distributor of Specialty carbon black product lines in Peru.

For more than 20 years, Reciend has been Orion’s agent and distributor in Colombia.

“We know the same dedication and technical work that transformed the Colombian market will be the key factors to drive the evolution for the coatings and plastics market in Peru,” said Eduardo Belisle, a technical business manager at Orion. “We look forward to supporting Reciend on this new journey.”

Alejandro Mejía, chief strategy officer of Reciend, said the collaboration is a strategic milestone that strengthens his company’s mission of bringing specialized solutions to Andean markets.

“It is an excellent opportunity to create even more value for our customers and principals through our talented team, committed to delivering high-performance solutions to industrial markets — such as coatings, plastics, printing systems and battery applications — where we have strong expertise and a broad ingredients portfolio,” Mejía said. “After decades of working with Orion’s carbon blacks, we’ve established a solid foundation, and now the expansion of our collaboration into Peru enables us to replicate that success in this important and growing market.”

About Orion S.A.

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has four innovation centers and produces carbon black at 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com. 

Forward-looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contact:

William Foreman
Orion S.A.
Director of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs
[email protected]  
Direct: +1 832-445-3305

HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, announced today the European Commission has listed the company on its “Innovation Radar” website, which identifies high-potential innovators that have done EU-funded research.

The recognition highlights Orion’s achievement as a “Key Innovator” for being the first company to produce circular carbon black from 100% pyrolysis oil from end-of-life tires. The market-ready material serves as an alternative to carbon black made from fossil oil.

“Driving circularity is part of Orion’s long-term strategy,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “Our customers are increasingly relying on us to provide solutions to meet the growing demand for circular products. We are scaling up our capabilities to process tire pyrolysis oil and have other innovations in our sustainability pipeline focused on cost-effective solutions.”

Orion developed the circular carbon black recognized by the Innovation Radar as a partner in the EU-funded BlackCycle project (Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement No: 869625).

The award-winning BlackCycle initiative was led by Michelin and included seven industrial partners and five research and technology organizations, with the objective to design pioneering processes to make new tires from end-of-life tires.

“Although the BlackCycle project has concluded, our innovation work continues with other initiatives with circular carbon black that involve reducing our carbon footprint, improving yield and throughput, and potentially lowering material costs,” said Natalia Scherbakoff, chief technology officer at Orion.

Last year, Orion launched its “Clean Carbon Black Research and Development Project,” funded with a €6.4 million grant from the German government and European Union. The project is focused on developing a climate-neutral process for producing carbon black from alternative carbon sources.

View the listing of Orion on the Innovation Radar website here: https://innovation-radar.ec.europa.eu/innovation/53664

About Orion S.A.

Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has four innovation centers and produces carbon black at 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.

Contact:

William Foreman
Orion S.A.
Director of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs
[email protected]
Direct: +1 832-445-3305

Christopher Kapsch
Orion S.A.
Vice President of Investor Relations
[email protected]
Direct: +1 281-318-4413