Carbon black was used as a pigment as far back as the advanced civilizations of ancient China and Egypt. In those days, the main raw materials used were resins and vegetable oils. Over the years, the manufacture of pigment blacks has developed to become the high-tech industrial process that it is today. Pigment black is produced in special reactors under strictly controlled conditions. This is where the main difference lies between carbon black and soot from the house fireplace or from internal combustion engines; in fact, carbon blacks have virtually nothing in common with ordinary soot. These days, pigment blacks are used in printing inks, paints, plastics, non-impact printing and for other special applications (e.g., coloring concrete). Today, Evonik Degussa GmbH produces pigment blacks throughout the world. Our presence in Europe, America and Asia means that we are able to produce the most important pigment blacks close to our major customers.