11 Jun 2026
Qingdao facility begins making three grades from tire pyrolysis oil
Houston – Orion SA has started production of 'circular carbon black’ at its plant in Qingdao, China, following ISSC+-certification of the facility.
The eastern China facility is producing three grades – Ecorax Circular 200, 210 and 215 – using tire pyrolysis oil (TPO) as a feedstock, Orion announced 4 June.
"This new capability in China marks a key step in offering circular carbon black grades globally," said Orion CEO Corning Painter.
"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 it was the first carbon black producer to manufacture carbon black using 100% TPO and to commercialise multiple ISSC+-certified grades made from alternative feedstocks at plants around the world.
The latest move follows a major expansion of the company's circular production capabilities in Europe last year, when it launched large-volume production of Ecorax grades at its Jaslo, Poland facility.
According to Orion, the circular alternatives allow tire manufacturers to increase the use of sustainable materials without compromising performance.
The company said both its Qingdao and Jaslo facilities are equipped with dedicated infrastructure, including separate storage tanks for TPO and carbon black oil.
The feedstocks are introduced into the reactor through separate streams in ‘completely controlled doses,’ Pedro Riveros, SVP rubber carbon black.
Orion’s technology, said Riveros, allows it to “modulate the blending ratio” of TPO and carbon black oil, enabling the company to have “a more precise measurement of the TPO content."
This allows Orion to maintain quality consistency, he added.
Meanwhile, Riveros also outlined plans to strengthen the company's feedstock supply network in Europe.
In Europe, he said, Orion has invested in TPO production and will be the off taker of the circular feedstock at multiple sites on the continent.
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