Orion Engineered Carbons has started up a new production line for specialty carbon blacks at its plant in Kalscheuren, Germany. Several million euros were invested in new production technology which commenced operation at the beginning of 2014. This investment scales up production capacity to enable Orion Engineered Carbons to serve the growing global market for carbon black specialty grades.
One of the first products to be launched from this new production line is COLOUR BLACK FW 255. This Carbon Black is a highly specialized grade that responds to the coatings industry trend to use pigments which can be utilized in both water- and solvent-based systems. The very high jetness and high bluish undertone which COLOUR BLACK FW 255 provides is especially suited for automotive OEM and refinish systems. Orion Engineered Carbons has additional new grades in its pipeline such as XPB 412 for medium color coatings in water- and solvent-based applications. XPB 412 is expected to be launched soon.
With XPB 538 and XPB 545, Orion Engineered Carbons offers two new grades for conductive applications. XPB 538 is an extra high conductive Specialty Carbon Black. In comparison with the widely-used PRINTEX XE 2B, it combines a very high specific surface area for maximum conductivity and an extremely high purity level, attributes which are rapidly becoming standard requirements in many different industries.
XPB 545 is an ideal Carbon Black for conductive coatings; it offers a superior combination of properties ideal for anti-static and conductive properties, according to the company. This material meets or exceeds market requirements for extremely high cleanliness and low amounts of heavy metals, and affords excellent surface morphology balance among resistivity, rheology and color development.
