Lanxess invests in glass fiber plant in Belgium

LANXESS has been investing substantial amounts in the expansion of its global production network for high-tech plastics during the last 18 months. Including the glass fibers expansion, recent investments for high-tech plastics account for EUR 90 million. LANXESS’ Semi-Crystalline Products (SCP) business unit is a leading supplier of premium high-tech plastics. New compounding facilities are being built in the United States and Asia. In the existing compounding plants investments are being made to increase capacity. 

 

Heart of high-tech plastics

 

“The investments in our Antwerp facilities for caprolactam and now glass fibers further strengthen our competitiveness,” said Michael Zobel, head of the SCP business unit. “More than half of the caprolactam and glass fibers produced is used internally. This perfect upstream integrated value chain is a key success factor for our business. With the production of these intermediates Antwerp is really the heart of the LANXESS high-tech plastics business.”

 

The LANXESS Year of High-Tech Plastics

 

LANXESS has declared 2011 the Year of High-Tech Plastics. As part of the theme year, LANXESS is initiating a series of events and taking part in trade fairs and exhibitions that provide information to all interest groups. The company highlights where high-tech plastics are used, the benefits they offer and, in particular, how they can also help ensure sustainable development. The High-Tech Plastics Day for the European media in Antwerp is part of this program.

 

The Semi-Crystalline Products business unit belongs to the Performance Polymers segment. It employs around 1,500 people worldwide with current production sites in Belgium (Lillo and Kallo in the Antwerp harbor), Germany (Krefeld-Uerdingen and Hamm-Uentrop (JV)), and China (Wuxi).

 

The automotive industry is the largest customer for the Semi-Crystalline Products (SCP) business unit, which produces Durethan and Pocan. These highly innovative products allow for the design of lighter-weight plastic parts to replace metal parts in automobiles, contributing to fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. In addition, Durethan and Pocan enable carmakers and car parts suppliers to achieve considerable savings through cheaper production and easier assembly. 

 

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 7.1 billion in 2010 and currently around 15,800 employees in 30 countries. The company is at present represented at 46 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.