Sep 22 2006
Chemicals group LANXESS has invested more than EUR 15 million in the production of chloroprene rubber (CR) in Dormagen. The project is aimed at optimizing processes and safety and expanding capacity, and is due for completion by the end of the year. This move by the company has been in response to the changing global market environment.
“The investments will enable us to continue reliably serving our customers from the CR processing industry in the future,” says Ingo Fischer, head of Global Product Management for CR at LANXESS’s Technical Rubber Products business unit. ”In addition we are in close contact with the authorities to prepare for additional expansion.” The aim is to increase further the capacity. If the project runs smoothly, the chances of obtaining a permit from the authorities quickly are rated high.
Chloroprene is used in a large number of applications in the field of technical rubber goods, e.g. hoses, cables, transport belts, and in the automotive segment in axle boots, windscreen wiper blades and belts. Apart from technical rubber goods CR is also used in adhesive raw materials and latex applications.
The Technical Rubber Products business unit belongs to the Performance Rubber segment, which achieved total sales in fiscal 2005 of EUR 1.678 billion.