Orion's Ecorax grades earn sustainability certification

HOUSTON—For Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., sustainability is just part of what happens every day. And with International Sustainability and Carbon Certifications (ISCC Plus) under its belt, the carbon black maker is confident it can prove it.

"The globally recognized certification further strengthens Orion's position as the leader in our industry for developing sustainable solutions for our tire, mechanical rubber goods and specialty customers," Orion CEO Corning Painter said in a statement. "Earning the certification is a major achievement for the commercialization of our portfolio of sustainable products. ISCC PLUS documents to our customers that Orion continues to make progress with innovation focused on sustainability."

Among the products to receive the ISCC Plus stamp of approval were the Ecorax circular grades produced using pyrolysis oils from end-of-life tires at plants in Borger, Texas, and Belpre, Ohio. The company's newly launched Ecorax Nature 200—which is made in Jaslo, Poland, and based on bio-circular feedstocks—also received certification.

Earning the certification involves rigorous audits of processes and plants producing specified grades of carbon black to ensure compliance with high sustainability standards. The certification process also includes verification of the transparency and traceability of the raw materials throughout the company's supply chain.

Aside from providing sustainability solutions with its feedstocks, Orion contends that the products can help tire makers conserve on time and resources. The certified products are similar to conventional grades and can be used as drop-ins, requiring minimal reformulation in complex rubber compounds.

"No other company is making multiple grades of sustainable carbon black with different feedstocks at multiple plants across the world," Painter added. "Introducing a broad range of products that can be used in highly demanding tire applications using such materials is a critical step to enable the transition to a circular economy for tires."

The certified carbon blacks—like their predecessors—stand up to the rigorous demands of the tire industry, providing reinforcement for tires and helping to protect treadwear from tearing, cuts, abrasion and wear. Carbon blacks also contribute to lower rolling resistance, which can improve both fuel economy and range, while allowing for fine-tuning of performance characteristics.

And when it comes to producing carbon blacks from renewable feedstocks, Orion knows a thing or two. The supplier claims to have been the first major carbon black maker to do so. The company began using industrial-grade vegetable and waste-derived oils as well as bio-materials in its carbon black production about 10 years ago.

And for tire makers, particularly, that's good news. Many have their eyes on fully sustainable products and have targeted 2050—or sooner—as the goal for producing 100-percent sustainable products.

That, said Pedro Riveros, senior vice president for global rubber carbon black and general manager for the Americas, puts products like Orion's Ecorax line in high demand.

"Several companies have made very public statements about achieving fully sustainable raw materials by 2050, or earlier," Riveros said. "Since rubber and carbon black are the largest raw materials in rubber compounds, replacing conventional carbon blacks with our sustainable products will largely contribute to the achievement of these commitments."

Luxembourg-based Orion Engineered Carbon S.A. operates innovation centers on three continents and maintains 14 plants worldwide. The company's roots go back more than 160 years to Germany where it operates the world's longest-running carbon black plant.

Orion's carbon blacks are used in a range of end markets including tires, coatings, inks, batteries, plastics and high-performance specialty applications.

The company's Americas subsidiary, Orion Engineered Carbons L.L.C., is headquartered in Texas.