Digital Media Kit
News Release
For Immediate Release: March 21, 2024
Orion showcases new circular carbon blacks for wire-and-cable, other polymer applications
at NPE2024: The Plastics Show
HOUSTON – Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a global specialty chemicals company, will showcase two new sustainable specialty carbon black grades suitable for wire-and-cable applications at NPE2024: The Plastics Show. In addition, Orion (booth S34099) will highlight its broad portfolio of conductive additives for pipes, films, injection-molded parts, adhesives and sealants as well as for wire-and-cable applications. NPE2024 takes place May 6-10 in Orlando, Florida.
Produced from end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil, the new circular grades match the performance of regular, fossil-based specialty carbon black. Orion tests show they have the same conductivity properties, high purity level, jetness and tinting strength as regular specialty carbon blacks. Compliant with European and international food contact standards, the new circular blacks are also suitable for piping, film, fiber, packaging and automotive applications.
“Our customers report the new circular blacks are meeting the same performance requirements as regular specialty carbon blacks,” said Kevin Milks, Orion marketing manager for Polymers and Batteries. “We’re eager to understand our customers’ concerns, resolve their challenges with ingenuity and innovation, and develop grades to address their specific performance requirements.”
Also at NPE2024, Orion will present carbon blacks that improve performance by modifying rheology and imparting UV-resistance as well as conductivity characteristics. Marketed under PRINTEX®, AROSPERSE® and other brand names, these grades readily disperse in polymers and show very low levels of ionic contamination.
In wire-and-cable applications, Orion high-performance conductive additives extend service life by imparting desired conductivities, superior surface smoothness and UV protection to medium-voltage distribution and high voltage transmission cables.
Orion follows a sustainability approach based on developing solutions for customers as they adapt to three key mega-trends: the circular economy, electrification and decarbonization.
“Within our sustainability strategy, we are committed to recycling carbon black and producing circular specialty grades with equivalent performance to regular specialty blacks,” said Jennifer Stroh, PhD, Orion director of sales and marketing. “In fact, we have a long history with sustainable grades, beginning with PRINTEX Nature, our first grade produced from renewable oils more than 10 years ago. And, we continue to lead in producing sustainable carbon blacks.”
Orion develops partnerships to provide carbon black for wire-and-cable, injection molding and other polymer applications that support the country’s growing market for electric vehicles.
For more information about Orion’s sustainability performance and initiatives, visit Orion’s Strategy for Sustainable Solutions.
About Orion S.A.
Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 15 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers’ needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information, other than as required by applicable law.
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Team
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BIOGRAPHY
Jennifer S. Stroh, Ph.D.
Director of Sales and Marketing – Specialties Americas
Orion S.A.
Jennifer S. Stroh, Ph.D., is director of sales and marketing – Specialties Americas at Orion S.A. She leads all marketing and sales activities for specialty carbon black throughout the Americas. She is also responsible for the overall direction and profitability of the business line.
Prior to assuming her current role in September 2021, Stroh was strategic marketing manager – Specialties Americas. She focused on business strategy, development, innovation and building relationships with customers aligned with Orion’s emphasis on mobility, economic development, connected consumers and climate change. Previously, she was global key account manager and marketing manager Coatings Americas, responsible for addressing customer needs, product pricing and monitoring market trends for specialty carbon black applications in the Americas.
Before joining Orion, Stroh served as technical service manager for TPC Group and global technical service leader at Sekisui Specialty Chemicals.
Stroh is a member of the American Chemical Society, Materials Research Society, National Textile Center, Fiber Society and the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and doctorate in materials science and engineering at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.
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BIOGRAPHY
Kevin Milks
Marketing Manager: Polymers, Battery, and Special Applications
Orion S.A.
Kevin Milks is marketing manager: polymers, battery, and special applications at Orion S.A. He develops business and marketing strategies, identifies business opportunities and implements substantial, sustainable and profitable growth plans for Orion carbon blacks and conductive additives in the polymer and battery markets as well as markets for special applications such as ceramics plus non-woven and refractory material. Milks was previously an Orion sales manager for specialty carbon black in the Midwest, where he developed and implemented new regional sales strategies and led selected global key accounts.
Prior to joining Orion, Milks was sales director at Nordmann US, Jacksonville, Fla., leading the company’s acrylate and methacrylate distribution business. Before Nordmann US, he served in a variety of sales and technical positions with BASF, Red Spot Paint and Dolphin Company. He brings to Orion nearly 20 years of experience in industrial coatings.
Milks earned MBA and Master of Project Management degrees at Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Bluffton University.
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BIOGRAPHY
Martin Dauch
Director Marketing Polymers EMEA
Specialty Carbon Black
Orion S.A.
Martin de Magalhães Dauch is director marketing polymers EMEA at Orion S.A. He is responsible for marketing specialty carbon black for polymers applications in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Dauch joined Orion S.A. in 2021 as director marketing EMEA for Polymer Systems. He has over 15 years’ experience in the plastic processing industry, working primarily in technical service, sales and marketing. Prior to joining Orion, Dauch served as regional project manager for Clariant AG. Before taking on that role, Dauch held managerial positions in technical service, sales and marketing with Clariant’s former Masterbatches division.
Dauch earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry at the State University of Campinas in Brazil and a Master in International Marketing degree at the European School of Business, Reutlingen, Germany.
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Literature
Contact
William Foreman
Director of Corporate Communications
and Government Affairs
Orion S.A.
Direct: +1 832-445-3305 • Mobile: +1 281-889-7833