For over 70 years, Ergon has been delivering innovative products and service solutions for ever-changing needs. With more than 4,200 employees working across a solutions-driven supply chain, the company supports industries and communities globally. Customers can access Ergon’s products and services in more than 100 countries around the world.

Through an enhanced focus on the needs of speciality markets, Ergon has grown to become the world’s leading producer and marketer of naphthenic oils. Its horizons have expanded, but the mission remains the same: meet needs, support families, serve customers.

Ergon manufactures, markets and distributes speciality oils in the US, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Its strategically located terminals throughout these regions create a secure and consistent supply of speciality oils for customers.

As chemistries shift and the needs of customers evolve, Ergon is leveraging its expertise in speciality oils to advance industries, such as the tyre industry, with innovative, low-carbon solutions that meet the evolving demands of customers.

OVER 30 YEARS OF QUALITY PROCESSING AND TESTING

Customers can trust that Ergon’s process oils are formulated to meet exact specifications and undergo thorough testing. Ergon International partners with various laboratories, including its own US facilities and esteemed European laboratories, to rigorously test materials and deliver consistent, high-quality solutions. The company’s technical experts are recognised worldwide for their commitment to working with partners to advance industry standards for quality speciality oils.

HIGH-QUALITY OILS

Ergon’s process oils are genuine naphthenic oils produced to precise specifications and designed for a variety of processing applications. These oils offer low pour points, excellent solvency, low odour and strong colour stability. The products range from low (4 cSt) to high (936 cSt) viscosity, with blending capabilities to meet a range of industry needs.

TAILORED TYRE SOLUTIONS FROM A TEAM OF GLOBAL EXPERTS

Customers are seeking dependable solutions for an array of applications. Ergon’s experts understand the unique needs of each and tailor formulations to optimise product performance. The products, such as HyPrene Process Oils, are essential for a wide range of tyre applications, including passenger vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, off-road vehicles, aviation and motorcycles.

Properties such as viscosity, solvency, molecular weight, thermal stability and polarity are key to tyre performance. These chemical properties influence vulcanisation, flexibility, durability, traction and rolling resistance. Achieving the right balance can be a challenge, but Ergon’s team of technical experts is dedicated to developing formulations to meet customers’ specific tyre needs.

Sustainable tyre development prioritises eco-friendly process oils, such as bio-based and recycled materials, energy-efficient manufacturing and circular economy principles. This results in greater longevity of tyres through improved traction and rolling resistance.

Ergon’s tyre solutions help optimise safety, rolling resistance, grip and performance while reducing CO₂ emissions through the adoption of greener technologies. These advancements enable the development of specialised tyres, such as those for challenging terrains or for electric and autonomous vehicles.

PRODUCT COMPLIANCE

Ergon’s tyre oils, including naphthenic oils, are carefully monitored to meet stringent regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance with the amendment (EU) 2015/326 of Annex XVII to the REACH regulation (EC) 1907/2006; the European standard EN 16143:2013, which governs the determination of Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in extender oils.

Additionally, Ergon supports tyre manufacturers in aligning with Regulation (EC) No. 1222/2009, which provides the EU framework for tyre labelling based on fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise performance. By prioritising both compliance and performance, Ergon’s process oils help customers navigate evolving industry standards while optimising tyre formulations.

ERGON PRODUCTS USED IN TYRES

Ergon Mineral Oil Products – Low-PAH Naphthenic Oils

• HyPrene 100E (For High Filled Compounds)
• HyPrene L1200 (Alternative for MES)
• HyPrene L2000 (Alternative for TDAE, RAE and Black Oil)

Ergon Sustainable Products

• ISCC + Naphthenic Oils – HyPrene Products
• Recycled Oils – NuovoPrene Products
• Bio-Based Oils – EcoPrene Products
• 100% Bio-Based Oils – RBD Vegetable Oils

ERGON IS COMMITTED TO DOING RIGHT WITH ITS PRODUCTS, FOR THE PLANET, BY ITS PEOPLE AND THROUGH ITS PRINCIPLES.

Solutions to Meet Sustainability Targets

Ergon’s latest innovations focus on cleaner naphthenic oils and sustainable products, supporting eco-friendly materials from bio-based sources, such as EcoPrene Process Oils and RBD Vegetable Oils, or recycled sources, such as NuovoPrene Process Oils.

Recognised for Sustainability Excellence

In 2023, Ergon Refining Inc. (ERI), the company’s refinery in Vicksburg, Mississippi, which supplies naphthenic products around the world, received a silver medal from EcoVadis – a global platform that provides sustainability ratings.

Additionally, Ergon International has joined other Ergon Energy & Specialty Solutions companies in obtaining International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) status, including for its HyPrene and NuovoPrene products. This certification highlights the company’s commitment to product traceability and recycling.

Helping Customers Meet Evolving Regulations

Ergon conducts Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for its naphthenic base oils, offering customers comprehensive evaluations of the environmental impacts of these solutions. LCAs serve as valuable resources for reducing environmental footprint and supporting customers in meeting their sustainability goals.

Accelerating Customer Success

Ergon is a service company dedicated to anticipating and meeting needs since 1954. The company transforms molecules into high-value solutions that improve the performance of products people use every day around the world. With its technical expertise and innovation, strategic logistics network and commitment to an exceptional customer experience, Ergon consistently leverages its resources to ensure customer success worldwide. That’s the Ergon way. 

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Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value biobased products derived from pine chemicals, has revealed a new strategic initiative for its Berre, France facility. The plan involves streamlining its polymer operations to concentrate exclusively on manufacturing USBC products, which will result in the cessation of HSBC production at that site.

This move is designed to bolster Kraton's long-term competitiveness by optimising its manufacturing footprint in reaction to a global overcapacity for HSBC. The company has formally started an information and consultation process with the local Works Councils, with a final decision expected following this mandatory period. The company has reaffirmed its commitment to supplying HSBC from its broader global network and to leveraging its worldwide presence to continue adapting to market demands.

Prakash Kolluri, President, Kraton Polymers, said, “Our aim with this plan is to strengthen Kraton’s long-term competitive position by optimising our manufacturing footprint in response to changing market dynamics associated with global overcapacity of HSBC production capability. With this step, we are preparing Kraton for a sustainable future by securing Kraton’s position as the leading global HSBC producer. Kraton is fully committed to supporting our customers through this transition with supply of HSBC products produced within our unmatched global manufacturing network. We recognise the impact of these actions, and are committed to a safe, respectful and supportive transition. The health, safety and well-being of the employees remain our top priorities.”

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Continental is accelerating its transition towards a circular economy by systematically increasing the use of renewable and recycled materials in its tyres. The company, which averaged a 26 percent sustainable material share in 2024, has set an ambitious target to raise this to at least 40 percent within five years. This strategy involves not only internal innovation but also actively encouraging its supply chain to develop and provide more sustainable raw materials.

A critical area of development is finding green alternatives for reinforcement materials like steel and textiles, which are essential for tyre safety, durability and performance. These materials can constitute over 18 percent of a passenger car tyre, and even more in commercial vehicle tyres. Continental is already integrating recycled steel and is pioneering the use of polyester yarn made from recycled PET bottles. Depending on the tyre size, the carcass of a single passenger car tyre can incorporate the equivalent of up to 15 bottles. This recycled polyester, developed with partner OTIZ, is verified to cut CO₂ emissions by approximately 28 percent compared to conventional materials and is already featured in production tyres like the UltraContact NXT.

The company's sustainable material portfolio extends beyond reinforcements. It includes synthetic rubber derived from used cooking oil, bio-based resins from waste streams and silica obtained from rice husk ash. Complementing these material advances is a commitment to greener manufacturing processes. Together with Kordsa, Continental has developed COKOON, an adhesion technology that bonds textiles to rubber without harmful chemicals. In a move to uplift the entire industry, this innovative solution has been made available to all tyre manufacturers as a free, open-source license, demonstrating Continental's broader commitment to fostering industry-wide sustainability.

Dr Matthias Haufe, Head of Material Development and Industrialization, Continental Tires, said, “We are not reinventing the wheel – but we are reinventing the tyre, with more sustainable materials and more environmentally compatible production processes. It’s not just about the rubber itself. We also focus on the materials that give the rubber its shape and make tyres stable and safe. Recycled steel and polyester yarn made from recycled PET bottles are important for more sustainable tyre production. Our goal is to use at least 40 percent renewable and recycled materials in our tyres within five years. Every alternative material brings us an important step closer to this goal. When it comes to sustainability, it’s not just the materials we switch to, but also those we deliberately do without.”

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Pyrum Innovations AG has officially announced that it will break ground on its next wholly-owned recycling facility in Perl-Besch on 14 November 2025. This new facility is a landmark project for the company, designed to be its largest to date and more than double its existing recycling capacity by processing in excess of 22,000 tonnes of used tyres each year.

The financial framework for this expansion is already taking shape. The project is supported by a diversified funding strategy that includes drawing on a EUR 25 million credit line from BASF and a committed debt financing term sheet from a major European bank. Finalising the package is contingent upon an agreement with Saarland authorities regarding land costs. Crucially, securing the Perl-Besch financing will unlock access to further substantial funding, including a second loan tranche from BASF, paving the way for additional projects in the company's rollout plan.

From a technical and logistical perspective, the Perl-Besch plant will be a state-of-the-art operation. It will be constructed on a 25,000-square-metre site in the strategically important border triangle of Germany, France and Luxembourg. The integrated facility will comprise a shredder plant, three next-generation Pyrum reactors, its own power plant and a grinding and pelletising plant. Insights gained from the existing plant in Dillingen are being directly applied to optimise construction and commissioning, aiming for a faster ramp-up to full production. The site was selected for its superior logistical advantages, offering direct connections to the Moselle River, railway lines and a nearby motorway to efficiently manage material flows from across Europe.

This new facility is central to Pyrum's financial roadmap, with the company projecting it will reach break-even upon its commissioning in 2027. Achieving this milestone is anticipated to create significant momentum and provide a solid foundation for the accelerated rollout of the company's broader project pipeline.

Pascal Klein, CEO, Pyrum Innovations AG, said, “Now that all the legal formalities have finally been clarified – development plan, planning permission and access to the site – we can hardly wait for things to visibly get underway. In the background, planning is already well advanced: The site has been prepared, numerous plant components with long delivery times – so-called long leads – have been ordered and the architect’s tenders for the ground work are underway. During construction, we will also benefit from the experience we have gained from the expansion of our main plant in Dillingen, so we are planning to start production in Perl-Besch in 2027.”

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Capital Carbon, a brand under India's Rathi Group, has successfully commissioned its new greenfield Recovered Carbon Black (rCB) facility in Gummidipoondi, Tamil Nadu. This development dramatically boosts the group's total rCB manufacturing capacity to 20,000 metric tonnes per year, a significant rise from its previous 5,000-tonne capacity.

The group distinguishes itself through complete vertical integration, handling the entire process from shredding end-of-life tyres to pyrolysis. This operation transforms waste into valuable materials, including rCB, fuel oil, steel wires and pyrolytic gas. The company utilises this gas for process heating, while the carbon char is either refined into rCB or supplied to cement plants as a sustainable energy source.

Ravi Rathi, Director, Rathi Group, said, "As Recovered Carbon Black gains wider acceptance, the industry continues to prioritise quality and consistency – and that's exactly what we've focused on addressing.”

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