Lanxess AG is expanding production of high-performance plastics at its Krefeld-Uerdingen site in Germany by building a new compounding facility at the North Rhine-Westphalia site.
The Cologne, Germany-based specialty chemicals company announced Sept. 19 that it was investing a “mid-double-digit million euro” amount in the new facility, which is scheduled to start operation in the second half of 2019.
Lanxess declined to comment on the capacity of the new facility, due to “competitive reasons.”
The site will produce Durethan and Pocan engineering plastics, which are used primarily in the automotive as well as the electrical and electronics industries. In addition, the investment will see the construction of a new warehouse and a silo facility at the site.
"The high-performance plastics business is a central pillar of our growth strategy. By expanding capacity, we are further strengthening our position as a provider of innovative product solutions for modern mobility,” said Hubert Fink, member of the Lanxess board of management.
The German materials supplier already operates a polymerization and compounding plant for high-performance plastics in Krefeld-Uerdingen and added a new production line at the existing plant in March.
"Krefeld-Uerdingen is our central production platform for high-performance plastics, especially for the European markets. The expansion will enable us to better serve the continuing high demand from this market region in the future," said Michael Zobel, head of Lanxess' high performance materials business unit.
Metal replacement in vehicles is a major application for these materials, helping to reduce vehicle weight, fuel consumption and emissions. Depending on the part, lightweight construction can yield a weight-saving of up to 50 percent, Lanxess claims.
Lanxess has stepped up investments in expanding its compounding capacities in recent years in a bid to expand its value chain.
Last November, the company announced a 20 million euro investment in Changzhou, China, to produce 25 kilotonnes per annum of Durethan- and Pocan-branded plastics at the site. The plant in Changzhou is scheduled to come on stream in the second quarter of 2019.
Lanxess already operates a plant for high-performance plastics in Wuxi, China.
The company also operates compounding sites in Jhagadia, India; Gastonia, S.C.; Porto Feliz, Brazil; and Hamm-Uentrop, Germany.
