We spoke with Kevin Milks, Marketing Manager for Polymers and Special Applications at Orion, as they prepare to showcase their solutions at the Compounding World Expo next month in Cleveland.

Kevin shared insights into the company's cutting-edge carbon black products and their commitment to sustainability, particularly with the upcoming launch of a new plant in La Porte, Texas.

Can you provide a brief overview of your company and the products/ services you'll be showcasing at the event? 

We produce a broad range of world-class carbon blacks that improve polymer performance by imparting high jetness, universal conductivity, UV protection and reinforcement. We draw on more than 160 years of experience and decades of expertise in polymer applications to lead the carbon black market.

To better meet customer needs, we’re building a new plant La Porte, Texas. When it begins operation in 2025, it will be the only U.S. plant producing acetylene-based conductive additives, increasing availability of acetylene black for conductive compounds.  We’re showcasing acetylene-based PRINTEX kappa 100 BEADS. This premium grade offers excellent dispersibility, exceptionally high cleanliness, purity and conductivity, making them ideal for wire and cable compounds.

We’re also showcasing PRINTEX^® chroma 500 BEADS, which gives engineered plastics a high-quality, luxury look.  It kicks off a series of new specialty grades for the polymers market. Plus, we have two new circular specialty carbon blacks for plastics. 

What recent trends or developments in the industry are you most excited about, and how do your products/ services align with them?

We’re most excited about industry’s move toward sustainability. In fact, “Delivering Sustainable Solutions” guides our approach to business and even heads up our website. Our sustainability strategy is based on three pillars, one of which is to provide recycled carbon black products that help our customers be more sustainable and participate in the circular economy.

To that end, we offer two new circular specialty carbon blacks for polymers. They are made from end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil, TPO, and deliver the same properties and performance as regular specialty carbon blacks. Our testing shows show they have the same conductivity properties, high purity level, jetness and tinting strength as regular blacks.  

In addition, PRINTEX kappa 100 BEADS and other conductive additives produced at the La Porte plant are a more sustainable option. They’ll have only one-tenth of the carbon footprint of other commonly used materials.

Could you share a success story or case study demonstrating how your products/ services have benefited a customer?

We recently commercialized a product line with an automotive tier-1 client to improve the abrasion resistance of nylon components, which resulted in significantly increased product durability and performance. Additionally, our graphene-enhanced polypropylene (PP) provided improved strength in PCR waste streams, while our graphene demonstrated in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) excellent environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR) for consumer packaging. These case studies illustrate how our innovative and cost-conscious solutions effectively address specific challenges and deliver tangible benefits to our clients.

Will you be conducting any demonstrations or interactive activities at the event? If so, what can attendees expect?

We won’t be conducting demonstrations, but we will have two technical experts available in-booth to discuss with attendees their current or future needs. We’re always looking to collaborate and partner with our customers, to continually stay in tune with their needs and provide optimal solutions that perfectly meet their requirements.

What are your company's goals for the future, and how do you see yourselves contributing to the evolving industry landscape?

Our company goals for the future are to meet customers’ needs, both stated and unstated, as precisely as possible and to offer a broad palette of solutions. We aim to meet customers where they are with the product they need at the time they need it.

We see ourselves as pioneers in the advancements of carbon black for high color, medium color and low color compounding. To that end, we work to continually maintain our leadership as the industry landscape evolves. 

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s show?

I’m definitely looking forward to productive discussions with customers, both present and future, to customize solutions, develop new products and continually innovate on their behalf. I look forward to reconnecting with industry colleagues and to rapidly expanding the prominence of the Orion name throughout the market. 

Orion will be exhibiting at the Compounding World Expo. Visit them at booth C411.