Milliken & Co. has begun production at a new clarifier plant in Blacksburg, S.C.
In a news release, officials with Milliken in Spartanburg, S.C., said that the new plant "will enhance access to Millad NX 8000 additives for customers worldwide."
They added that the plant will enable Milliken to meet increasing demand for these products well into the future.
"We plan to reach full operating capacity by the end of 2022, allowing us to increase Millad production by 50 percent," Chemical Business President Cindy Boiter said. "This represents the largest clarifier plant investment in Milliken history."
Millad NX 8000 primarily is used as a polypropylene additive. It helps reduce carbon emissions by enabling converters to lower their energy use during processing while also improving production efficiency, officials said. This ability "has never been more important than during this period of unparalleled spikes in energy prices," they added.
Earlier this year, Milliken expanded the assets it acquired when it bought German compounder and concentrates maker Zebra-chem GmbH in early 2021. Milliken installed new manufacturing equipment and added three employees at a site in Bad Bentheim. The expansion will allow Milliken to boost production capacity at the site by 60 percent by the end of the year.
Milliken is one of the world's largest privately held chemicals and textiles makers. Plastics-related products made by the firm include polymer additives, such as clarifying agents for polypropylene.