Orion Engineered Carbons announced today that it will expand its production capacity for Gas Blacks at its Cologne (Kalscheuren) plant, Germany through a debottlenecking project. Gas Blacks are a type of premium specialty carbon black used mainly in high-end coatings, including high jet automotive OEM and refinish paints, antistatic coatings, and packaging and UV curing inks. Orion’s press release pointed to greater demand for waterborne and solventborne coatings as the main driver for the expansion. According to Orion, Gas Blacks feature excellent fineness and a very narrow particle size distribution to provide the deepest blackness Specialty Carbon Blacks available on the market.
June 12, 2019
June 7, 2019
Orion announces change in fuel oil index for European carbon black pricing
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. announced today that it is adopting the Platts North West Europe 1% Sulfur fuel oil index (FO 1%S FOB NWE) for contract pricing in Europe replacing the 1% Sulfur Rotterdam fuel oil index (FO 1%S FOB ROT) in Europe as of July 1, 2019. According to the company’s press release, the 1% Sulfur Rotterdam fuel oil index is no longer functional, does not trade forward and does not track other 1% indices anymore. FO 1%S FOB NWE is currently functioning and therefore is the appropriate index at this time, according to Orion. The company said it uses low sulfur carbon black oil (CBO) grades in Europe.
“Orion values our European customers and strives to work with them in a highly transparent way,” said Erik Thiry, Senior Vice President Rubber Carbon Black, said in the press release. “Orion will continue to closely monitor CBO market changes with the upcoming IMO Marpol 2020 regulations. We will keep our customers updated if further required changes are needed due to changes in feedstock markets. We look forward to growing our customer relationships with the reliable supply of value-added carbon blacks.”
June 6, 2019
Lion Elastomers acquires SBR site from Firestone Polymers
Lion Elastomers has acquired a styrene-butadiene copolymers production site owned and operated by Firestone Polymers in Orange, Texas.
The plant manufactures SBR compounds under the Stereon, Diene and Duradene trade names. According to the company, these products are complementary to Lion’s current portfolio and will further strengthen Lion’s ability to support the synthetic rubber industry once the deal has closed.
This purchase marks Lion’s second strategic acquisition in less than five years and is in line with Lion’s initiative to expand its business and provide greater value enhancement to its customers.
Read the full press release here.
Michelin, GM move forward on airless wheel concept with Uptis
Michelin, in partnership with General Motors Co., presented a new generation of airless wheel technology for passenger vehicles — the Michelin Uptis Prototype (“Unique Punctureproof Tire System”), at the Movin’On Summit for sustainable mobility in Montreal this week.
The Uptis is based on the fundamentals of Michelin’s Tweel. Like the Tweel, the Uptis uses resin-reinforced fiberglass spokes as load-bearing elements. The wheel hub is integrated and the rubber tread is molded onto the circular platform that attaches to the end of the spokes.
The companies intend to validate the Uptis Prototype with the goal of introducing Uptis on passenger models as early as 2024.
“Uptis demonstrates that Michelin’s vision for a future of sustainable mobility is clearly an achievable dream. Through work with strategic partners like GM, who share our ambitions for transforming mobility, we can seize the future today,” said Florent Menegaux, chief executive officer for Michelin Group
“General Motors is excited about the possibilities that Uptis presents, and we are thrilled to collaborate with Michelin on this breakthrough technology. Uptis is an ideal fit for propelling the automotive industry into the future and a great example of how our customers benefit when we collaborate and innovate with our supplier partners,” said Steve Kiefer, senior vice president, global purchasing and supply chain, General Motors
Read the full press release here.
June 4, 2019
Clariant opens new black masterbatch facility in China
Clariant has launched a new facility in Guangzhou, China, dedicated to the manufacturing and supply of specialty black masterbatches, to address the fast-growing China market.
With Black PET/PA masterbatches for fiber developing into a sizable business in China and some other Asian countries, the new production facility in Guangzhou will supplement existing supply from Clariant’s facility in Taiwan, which has been fully utilized, to jointly deliver product and services in the Greater China Region.
“Since 2016, we’ve been increasing our investments in equipment upgrade and facilities expansion to boost capacities and capabilities of the Clariant plants in China, Singapore, and the US. The expanded new production line here in Guangzhou, with a CHF 5 million of investment volume, will enhance our full range service in supplying specialty black masterbatches products for the market of packaging, consumer goods, fiber, automotive, and E&E. It also allows us to better serve local expectations and continue our commitment to main local customers in the segments,” said Bernd Hoegemann, Clariant’s Head of Business Unit Masterbatches.
Read the full press release here.
UK car production plummets in April as Brexit shutdowns strike
UK car manufacturing output fell by almost 50 percent in April, for the 11th consecutive month of decline in automotive production.
Just under 71,000 cars rolled off the line in the month, down -44.5% year on year, attributed to large-scale factory shutdowns, which normally are scheduled for the summer holiday but were brought forward and extended due to Brexit.
“[These] figures are evidence of the vast cost and upheaval Brexit uncertainty has already wrought on UK automotive manufacturing businesses and workers,” SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said.
The UK was expected to withdraw from the European Union 29 Mar, but the departure date has now been extended to October 31.
Referenced article found here.
May 14, 2019
Pyrolyx plans to add second U.S. recovered carbon black plant
Recovered carbon black producer Pyrolyx A.G. is progressing with plans for a second plant in the U.S., to be built adjacent to one under construction in Terre Haute, Indiana. Pyrolyx is also in the process of moving its headquarters from Munich to Terre Haute. Construction on the plant is expected to start in the third quarter.
The plant under construction has a rated annual capacity of nearly 13,000 metric tons of recovered carbon black, which translates to about 4 million tires recycled a year.
The company has raised $2.3 million from the sale of equity capital in Pyrolyx A.G. and has access to a $4.5 million loan facility from Pyrolyx USA Inc. for funding.
Pyrolyx recently disclosed a non-binding five-year agreement to supply up to 15,000 tons of rCB a year to tire maker Continental A.G. from its plants in Stegelitz, Germany, and Terre Haute.
Here’s the press release.
Black Bear and MMEC join forces
Clean tech company Black Bear has entered into a strategic partnership with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm MMEC Mannesmann (MMEC) to accelerate the roll-out of its breakthrough technology to produce recovered Carbon Black (rCB) from end-of-life tires.
“To meet the growing demand for rCB and receive a substantial impact to meet the waste tire problem, we need to roll-out our proven technology,” explained Joost Raimond, Construction Director at Black Bear.
“Being in the EPC industry for many years, I know that the partnership with MMEC is a game-changer in our time-to-market as we now can offer real turn-key plant realization to clients who want to use our technology.”
The rCB is Cradle-to-CradleTM certified and is already used by major clients, including AkzoNobel.
The initial focus will be on already identified sites together with partners inside Europe. Given MMEC’s strong presence in the Middle East, this region will also see Black Bear facilities emerging in the future.
Read the full press release here.
Orion launches highest-jet carbon black at Eastern Coatings Show
Orion Engineered Carbons will launch COLOUR BLACK FW 310, the highest-jet carbon black available, at the Eastern Coatings Show 2019, which takes place May 14-15 in Atlantic City, N.J.
Available now for commercial use, COLOUR BLACK FW 310, a post-treated furnace black, is an excellent choice for automotive OEM basecoats, refinish coatings, as well as high-end industrial applications.
“COLOUR BLACK FW 310 is the most jet carbon black available today from any manufacturer, so it is breaking new ground,” said Jennifer Stroh, Ph.D., marketing manager, coatings, Americas. “It is going to help designers reach a new level of black that hasn’t been attainable before.
“The after-treatment makes COLOUR BLACK FW 310 a universal grade,” Dr. Stroh continued. “It is suitable for both water- and solvent-borne coatings, enabling coatings producers to purchase a single grade for both systems. In fact, it works well in applications, such as automotive OEM and refinish, that require different solvents.”
Orion’s testing in a waterborne one-component polyurethane system and a solvent-borne two-component polyurethane system shows COLOUR BLACK FW 310 has higher jetness (MY) values than the company’s previous premium product, COLOUR BLACK FW 255, which is roughly comparable to competitive premium carbon blacks. In systems tested, the jetness increased approximately 10 (MY) points depending on formulation. Equally important is it imparts the same bluish undertone, about 11.0 dM, as the previous leading high-jet grades.
April 20, 2019
Evonik develops silica technology that could lower truck rolling resistance
Evonik Industries A.G. announced that it has developed a silica/silane technology that can be used in natural rubber compounds to reduce the rolling resistance in medium truck and bus tires.
Evonik said that it conducted tests which proved that the use of its proprietary silica/silane technology could help improve fuel economy by as much as 8 percent when compared to traditional carbon-black reinforced NR compounds. Its use also helped reduce braking distances, thus making it safer to drive on on wet or snow-covered roads.
Jens Kiesewetter, Evonik’s head of technical service for rubber silica, said that when silica/silane technology is used in green tires for buses and trucks with high fuel consumption levels, it can make a significant contribution to climate protection, especially in light of the recent EU agreement on targets for CO2 reduction for trucks.
Evonik also announced that it is well on track to expand tire silica capacity at a plant in Adapazari, Turkey, including adding capacity for the Ultrasil 9100 GR precipitated silica reinforcing filler and Ultrasil 5000 GR, for optimizing wet and winter properties of tires.
Read the full press release here.
