The Baerlocher USA unit of Baerlocher Group plans to build a third reactor making plastics additives in Cincinnati.
The project will increase by 50 percent Baerlcoher's production of calcium, zinc, sodium and other metal soaps in Cincinnati, where Baerlocher USA is based. It also will further position the firm to meet steadily accelerating demand from the North American polyolefin and PVC industries, officials said in a Jan. 7 news release.
In addition, the new reactor will support the development of Baerlocher innovations such as its Baeropol RST-brand polyolefin stabilization technology and solid calcium-based PVC stabilizers. These applications are expected to grow as the industry looks to reduce the use of VOCs and heavy metal stabilizers, officials added.
The new reactor is expected to be fully operational in June. The project is expected to create at least six new jobs. Company officials declined to release the amount of investment for the new reactor, but described it as “a major capital investment.
“Baerlocher is bullish on the North American plastics industry, so we are continuing to invest in new capacity and innovative additive solutions for our customers,” Baerlocher USA president and CEO Edward Hall said in the release. “The new reactor is specifically targeted at market opportunities that we have carefully analyzed and are actively pursuing.”
Metal soaps are used in plastics applications as acid scavengers, stabilizers, internal and external lubricants, water repellents and mold release agents. Large amounts of PE capacity are being added on the U.S. Gulf Coast because of affordable supplies of natural gas developed via hydraulic fracturing (fracking). In the PVC sector, company officials said that additive manufacturers are consolidating and scaling back, opening up new opportunities for companies like Baerlocher.
Munich-based Baerlocher Group is a leading manufacturer of additives for the plastics industry. Its portfolio includes a broad range of stabilizers and other additives for a variety of polymer and non-polymer applications.