Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany) announced that it will build a second compounding line for Durethan- and Pocan-branded high-tech engineering plastics at its manufacturing site in Changzhou, China. An investment of around €30 million will increase the capacity in Changzhou by 30,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr). Together with existing facilities in Changzhou and Wuxi, this will bring the company’s total compounding capacity in China to 110,000 m.t./yr. The new line is planned to go on stream in the first quarter of 2023. “This expansion caters to the strong demand we experience from the growing Chinese automotive industry. As e-mobility is booming, it is driving new requirements for lightweight applications and continuously increases the share of electronic components used in cars”, says Hubert Fink, Member of the Board of the Management of LANXESS. “The new production line marks another vital step in enlarging our footprint in Greater China.”
Lanxess sees e-mobility as a major field of application for its polyamide (PA) 6 and PA 66 compounds Durethan, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) compounds Pocan and the endless fiber-reinforced composites Tepex. The company already offers a wide range of products that meet the most challenging standards and norms of the electrical and electronics industry worldwide in terms of flame retardance, electrical properties and ecological behavior.
Durethan and Pocan high-performance plastics also allow the construction of components that can replace metal parts in motor vehicles and in this way contribute to reducing weight, energy consumption and related emissions. The innovative materials are used, for example, in engine applications, door structures, body reinforcement, pedals, front ends and cross car beams. Depending on the part, the lightweight design contributes to a weight-saving of up to 50%.