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Solvay opens production unit in Italy for new blowing-agent product

| By Mary Bailey

Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium) announced the opening of its Alve-One production unit in Rosignano, Italy. This marks a new milestone with the launch of a significant European production facility for Alve-One, a chemical blowing agent eco-designed to transform the thermoplastic foaming industry.

Solvay’s Alve-One unit aims to address the growing demand for safer and more sustainable blowing agents in various consumer and industrial uses, globally. These include automotive, footwear, building & construction, and consumer goods, aiming to reduce carbon footprints in foamed end-products while enhancing overall health and safety standards to protect both people and the environment.

The inauguration ceremony took place in Rosignano, Italy, with esteemed guests including customers, partners, and Italian authorities. Among the attendees are key players operating in the thermoplastic foaming industry, including those in artificial leather for automotive and fashion, wallcovering, packaging and insulation materials, footwear, yoga mats and other sports apparel sectors. 

Alve-One solutions have received official recognition as a sustainable alternative for foamed thermoplastics from various organizations. These include the International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec), the Solar Impulse Foundation, which acknowledged it as an Efficient Solution, Inovyn, which honored it with an Innovation Award and France Chimie, which awarded it with the Pierre Potier Prize.