Extrusion International 4-2024

25 Extrusion International 4/2024 Investment in Upgrade Alpha Carbone Facility  Orion announced it is investing in Alpha Carbone, a French tire recy - cling company. The partnership will enable Alpha Carbone to scale up and produce commercial volumes of tire pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black. The cooperation also includes a long-term supply agreement with Ori- on as the exclusive customer for the tire pyrolysis oil produced by Alpha Carbone. The oil will be used by Orion to manufacture circular carbon black for tire and rubber goods customers. “This investment enables Orion to make large-scale volumes of cir- cular grades of carbon black for our rubber customers who are seeking sustainable solutions,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “It further strengthens Orion’s position as an innovator focused on the future and accelerating the transition to a circular economy.” An estimated 500,000 metric tons of tires are discarded annually in France. For years, Orion has been working closely with major tire companies to develop circular car - bon black. Tire pyrolysis is the only proven technology to produce cir - cular carbon black that can be used in new tires. Alpha Carbone’s tire pyrolysis pro - cess takes the discarded end-of-life tires and exposes them to high tem - peratures, removing wire, mesh and other materials. The process also reduces the tires to synthetic gas, recovered carbon black and tire py- rolysis oil. Orion is the only company that has made circular carbon black from 100% tire pyrolysis oil as a feed- stock. The company has also dem- onstrated that its circular products can replace virgin carbon black in many applications. Alpha Carbone’s plant is expect - ed to start up in late 2025. Besides the pyrolysis oil supplied to Orion, Alpha Carbone will sell the recov- ered carbon black to its own cus- tomers primarily under long-term contracts. “This investment will allow Alpha Carbone to bring its Dole, France, facility to the best industrial level in order to supply the growing de- mands for quality recovered carbon black and tire pyrolysis oil to our customers. This new step aligns with the strategy of Alpha Carbone’s main shareholder, Alpha Recyclage Franche Comté, to offer the best possible solution for recycling end- of-life tires,” said Laura Pech, CEO of Alpha Carbone. Orion S.A. orioncarbons.com Subsidiary Opened  KRAIBURG TPE announced the official opening of its subsidiary, KRAIBURG TPE UK Ltd. This strate- gic move underscores the compa - ny’s commitment to serving the im - portant UK market directly. It marks a pivotal milestone in the company's development to further enhance lo - cal customer services. The United Kingdom has long been a pivotal market for KRAI- BURG TPE with numerous well- known clients and successful col- laborations. However, evolving dynamics presented challenges in maintaining optimal service stan - dards since 2020. Collaborating closely with the longstanding part- ner, Abbey Polymers, KRAIBURG TPE diligently addressed these chal - lenges. In January 2024, KRAIBURG TPE UK Ltd. initiated its business and warehousing operations. With a dedicated sales office in Stafford and a strategically located ware- house in Stoke-on-Trent, it is poised to deliver customer-centric solutions and uphold its hallmark service ex- cellence. This strategic expansion re- flects KRAIBURG TPE’s unwavering commitment to meeting the evolv - ing needs of clients and further ex - pand the company’s presence in the UK market. KRAIBURG TPE announced Michal Mucha as the main UK representa - tive for KRAIBURG TPE UK Ltd. With a wealth of experience spanning over a decade in plastics and au - tomotive sectors, Michal is primed to further extend the company’s presence in the UK market. His ap- pointment underscores the com - pany’s commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences and fostering partnerships. Michal Mucha is supported in his role by Philip Jahn, Technical Sales Man - ager EMEA, who has been in charge The official opening of KRAIBURG TPE UK Ltd underscores the company’s commitment to serving the important UK market directly. Michal Mucha, Technical Sales Manager UK, is supported by Philip Jahn, Technical Sales Manager, and both report directly to Nikolaus Weiss, Head of Sales at KRAIBURG TPE (f. l. t. r.) (Image: © 2024 KRAIBURG TPE)