June, 23, 2026 - Orion S.A., a global specialty chemicals company, announced earlier this month it is producing circular carbon black at its plant in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, China.

The facility is making three grades — Ecorax Circular 200, 210 and 215 — from tire pyrolysis oil (TPO). Ecorax 200 is a hard black suitable for tires, while the 210 and 215 grades can be used for tires and mechanical rubber goods (MRG).

"This new capability in China marks a key step in offering circular carbon black grades globally," Orion CEO Corning Painter said. "The product line extension gives us greater flexibility to meet growing demand for circular products, while maintaining the performance, consistency and quality our customers expect."

Orion claims it was the first carbon black producer to make carbon black with 100% TPO and to commercialize multiple ISCC PLUS-certified grades from various feedstocks at plants across the world.

Orion says it significantly scaled up its circular capabilities in Europe last year, launching large volume production of Ecorax Circular 200 and 210 — both made from TPO — through a commercial reactor in Jasło, Poland. The ISCC PLUS certification of these products verifies transparent, traceable sourcing of sustainable raw materials.

Ecorax Circular 200 and 210 are hard black grades designed as full drop-in replacements for ASTM grades N326 and N330, respectively, which are made from conventional feedstocks. The circular alternatives enable tire manufacturers to incorporate sustainable materials without compromising performance, Orion says.

Both facilities in China and Poland use specially designed infrastructure with dedicated oil tanks that segregate the two main feedstocks: TPO and carbon black oil. The materials are then introduced in separate streams into a reactor to make the Ecorax Circular grades.

"We now have the complete infrastructure to receive, store and dose TPO in our production in a completely controlled way," said Pedro Riveros, senior vice president of Global Rubber Carbon Black at Orion. "Our technology allows us to modulate the blending ratio of TPO and carbon black oil, enabling us to have a more precise measurement of the TPO content. This is vital for quality consistency and useful for our customers to execute their circular commercial strategies."

Riveros added, "In Europe, Orion has invested in TPO production and will be the off taker of the circular feedstock at multiple sites on the continent. We will continue to look for opportunities that will support and underpin our global strategy."

Orion S.A. is a 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 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.