Global materials firm Ravago SA has added thermoplastic elastomer compounding at a location in China.
Luxembourg-based Ravago will begin TPE compound production in April on the line in Zhejiang, officials said in a recent news release. The expansion will bring Ravago's global TPE compounding capacity up to around 165 million pounds. The firm also compounds TPEs at sites in Texas, Turkey and Germany.
TPEs compounded by Ravago include thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The firm employs 5,000 worldwide, distributing almost 9 billion pounds of resins and compounds to 40,000 customers.
Ravago also operates 30 manufacturing sites for recycling and compounding, as well as production of expanded polystyrene resin and finished products for the building and construction market. In December, the firm's Ravago Americas LLC unit expanded by acquiring resin distributor Bay State Polymer Distribution Inc. of Westlake, Ohio.