Traditionally, Advance Group carbon black has been used as a reinforcing agent in tires. Today, the uses of carbon black have expanded to include acting as a pigmenting, UV stabilizing and conductive agent in a variety of common and specialty products, including tire innerliners, carcasses, sidewalls and treads, as well as in industrial rubber products, like belts, hoses and gaskets. An intensely black powder, carbon black is produced by subjecting heavy residual oil feedstock to extremely high temperatures in a carefully controlled combustion process. Advance manufactures dozens of commercial grades of varying size and structure, each produced through minute adjustments in different reactors. A leading global supplier, Advance Group produces nearly 2 million metric tons of carbon black annually and sells it under the following trade names: BLACK PEARLS, ELFTEX, VULCAN, MOGUL, MONARCH, EMPORER, REGAL, UNITED, SPHERON and STERLING.