HOUSTON – Orion Engineered Carbons S.A., a supplier of specialty and high-performance carbon black, has officially opened its new technical service applications laboratory in New Jersey. The new facility will initially serve coatings and ink customers, as well as drive innovation to advance carbon black technology.

“The lab is an invaluable technical resource for Orion, for the industry and for our customers,” said Corning Painter, Chief Executive Officer of Orion. “We can accelerate new product developments and optimize formulations for cost efficiency and product performance.”

The laboratory is currently conducting coatings and inks application projects, which can optimize raw material use, increase revenue and improve profitability for both Orion and industry partners.

“We are testing in industrial, architectural and automotive coatings systems, both water- and solvent-borne, plus a variety of inks,” said Dr. Jennifer Stroh, Marketing Manager Coatings Americas. “We are evaluating a broad range of formula components, including carbon blacks and dispersants, and apply our special expertise in color and jetness to determine the best desired outcome.”

Specifically, Stroh said, the lab is “pushing the envelope” in automotive coatings to reach cutting-edge high jetness levels for the automotive coatings market.

The new technical service laboratory also enables customers to accelerate their own research and development in formulations containing carbon black. The lab draws on the full range of Orion’s extensive carbon black portfolio aiming to optimize formulas and help customers serve their markets better.