Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany) has commenced production of hybrid polymers at its Nünchritz site in Germany. The new production facility is currently undergoing ramp-up. Hybrid polymers serve as binders for high-quality adhesives and sealants and are extremely popular because they are easy to use. Such binders are increasingly being employed by manufacturers of construction and assembly adhesives, parquet-flooring adhesives or liquid waterproofing membranes for roofs and balconies. The alpha-silane-terminated hybrid polymers from WACKER enable the formulation of tin-free, consumer-friendly products. The costs of the new production facility are in the double-digit million euros range. As a result of the investment, 50 new jobs have been created at the site. In 2023, the company first announced plans to expand the sealant manufacturing capabilities of the Nünchritz site.
Wacker has started producing hybrid polymers at its Nünchritz site (Photo: WACKER).
The new high-speed facility will replace the existing production plant at the Burghausen site and will substantially boost production capacity for hybrid polymers. “With annual growth rates of well over five percent in some cases, the market for hybrid polymers is extremely attractive for us,” says Managing Board member Christian Kirsten. WACKER is already a world-leading manufacturer of silane-terminated polymers, he adds. “Expanding our production puts us in a position to support the growth of our customers. The facility thus aligns with our strategy of increasingly focusing on tailor-made specialties that offer great innovation potential, high vertical integration and high customer benefit.”
The ultra-modern production line at the Nünchritz site features a range of technical innovations, making it truly state of the art. The highly integrated combination of key working steps within the building keeps distances short and makes for highly efficient continuous production processes. “The new facility’s production capacity will increase our output many times over,” says Tom Koini, Head of the Silicones business division. It can also be expanded to accommodate future growth, he adds. “If the market continues to grow as dynamically as before, we will be able to significantly boost our production capacity once again.”
Hybrid polymers rank among the business division’s most important growth fields. Offered under the name GENIOSIL STP-E, the products serve as silane crosslinking binders for formulating high-performance adhesives and sealants for industrial and construction applications and, more recently, for liquid waterproofing membranes.
Since hybrid polymers based on WACKER’s proprietary alpha-silane technology can also be used to produce tin-free products, they are environmentally and consumer-friendly. “Aspects like these, alongside performance, are becoming more and more important in the formulation of adhesives and sealants. They are what makes our hybrid polymers so attractive to customers,” says Koini. “The alpha-silane technology allows us to develop customized binders for a wide variety of adhesive types. Demand for such products will continue to see strong growth in the coming years.”
The new hybrid production facility is also good news for the region, as 50 new jobs are being generated. With 1,600 employees, WACKER is the largest chemical employer in Saxony.