Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany; www.lanxess.com) has started up a second production line for high-performance plastics compounding at its facility in Gastonia, North Carolina, as planned. The new line represents an investment of about $15 million and doubles the site’s production capacity from 20,000 to 40,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr).
In the plant, the basic polymers polyamide (PA) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) are mixed and refined with special additives and glass fiber, according to client requirements, to make the high-performance plastic product lines Durethan and Pocan. They are used primarily in the automotive industry to manufacture lighter-weight plastic components that can replace metal parts in vehicles, contributing to greater fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
“This investment shows our strengthened focus on high-performance compounds and underlines our strategy to shift this business towards higher-value-added markets,” said Hubert Fink, Member of the Board of Management of Lanxess AG. “The capacity expansion in Gastonia also shows our commitment to North America, which we see as major growth region.”
In the coming years, Lanxess plans to further invest €50 to 100 million for organic growth in its high-performance plastics business. “With the investments, we will be further balancing the capacities in our polyamide value chain and driving the globalization of our engineering plastics business,” said Michael Zobel, head of Lanxess ‘ business unit High Performance Materials.