Orion Expands Circular Carbon Black Production to China Using Tire Pyrolysis Oil Feedstock

Orion S.A. has begun producing circular carbon black at its ISCC PLUS-certified manufacturing facility in Qingdao, China, expanding the company's global production footprint for sustainable carbon black materials derived from tire pyrolysis oil (TPO). The launch introduces three circular grades, ECORAX® Circular 200, 210 and 215, to the Asian market, targeting applications in tires and mechanical rubber goods.

Headquartered in Luxembourg, Orion is one of the world's largest carbon black producers, supplying materials used in tires, rubber products, coatings, inks, batteries and specialty applications. The Qingdao facility becomes the latest site in the company’s growing network of plants producing circular carbon black from alternative feedstocks.

The expansion strengthens Orion’s ability to serve tire and rubber manufacturers seeking to increase the use of recycled and circular raw materials in response to sustainability targets and evolving regulatory requirements. By producing circular grades in both Europe and Asia, the company can support regional supply chains while reducing dependence on conventional fossil-based feedstocks.

“This new capability in China marks a key step in offering circular carbon black grades globally,” said Corning Painter, Chief Executive Officer of Orion. “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 said ECORAX® Circular 200 is designed for tire applications, while Circular 210 and 215 can be used in both tires and mechanical rubber goods. The company noted that Circular 200 and 210 are engineered as drop-in replacements for ASTM grades N326 and N330, allowing manufacturers to incorporate circular content without requiring major formulation changes or sacrificing performance characteristics.

The launch builds on Orion’s broader circular materials strategy. In 2025, the company expanded production of ECORAX® Circular 200 and 210 at its commercial-scale carbon black facility in Jasło, Poland, significantly increasing European output. The products are certified under the ISCC PLUS framework, which provides traceability and verification for sustainable feedstocks throughout the supply chain.

According to Orion, both the Qingdao and Jasło facilities are equipped with dedicated infrastructure designed to handle tire pyrolysis oil separately from conventional carbon black oil. Segregated storage and dosing systems allow the company to precisely control feedstock inputs during production and support certification requirements for circular products.

“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.”

The carbon black industry is increasingly exploring alternative feedstocks as tire manufacturers and rubber product producers seek to lower the environmental footprint of their supply chains. Tire pyrolysis oil, produced through the thermal processing of end-of-life tires, has emerged as a key feedstock for circular carbon black production and is gaining traction as part of broader efforts to increase material recovery within the tire recycling sector.

Orion said it continues to invest in the circular value chain and is actively pursuing additional opportunities to secure long-term supplies of tire pyrolysis oil. In Europe, the company has already invested in TPO production capacity and serves as an offtaker of circular feedstock across multiple manufacturing locations.

The Qingdao expansion increases Orion’s ability to supply circular carbon black to customers in Asia while supporting the company’s long-term strategy to scale sustainable materials production across major global markets.

Source: Orion

SUNSHINE Spotlight: Orion’s launch of circular carbon black production in China marks another step toward integrating tire-derived feedstocks into mainstream rubber manufacturing, expanding regional access to recycled raw materials for the tire and rubber sectors.